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• The coal power plants will continue to be the backbone of the Indian power sector for next few decades in India. • The Advanced Coal Technologies (ACT) have higher Sustainability Index. • The ACTs coupled with Carbon Capture Systems help to meet the future electricity demand as well as combat climate change. • Optimal mix of all energy source and technologies will create a sustainable society. In India, more than two-thirds of the total electricity is generated from coal-based power plants. The country will be heavily dependent on coal for electricity generation at least for a few more decades. A low carbon scenario for 2030 is projected and the results show that coal-based power plant will contribute to 58 % of electricity generated. This paper reports the sustainability assessment of several Advanced Coal Technologies (ACT), with and without a CO 2 capture system, for application in Indian coal-based power plants. In order to assess sustainability quantitatively, an index called Sustainability Index is estimated using a sequential combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and a multi-criteria decision-making method. The results show that ACTs like supercritical and ultra supercritical power plants with a carbon capture system have higher sustainability indices. These ACTs will help in reducing the CO 2 emissions and combat climate change. This study helps academicians, industrialists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop a technology roadmap for sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]