Since the inception of cobalt phthalocyanine for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), non-platinum group metals have been the central focus in the area of fuel cell electrocatalysts. Metal-free carbon catalysts stand out for their durability in the air cathodes of the metal-air batteries. Understanding the origin of the active sites in the heteroatom-doped carbon material plays a vital role in designing novel electrocatalysts for the ORR in fuel cell cathodes. In this seminar, the effect of carbon defects vs heteroatom(s) is discussed. The topological and edge defect contributions to the ORR activity are studied using chemical functionalization and intentionally created edge defects via the mechanochemical process. Mainly, the boron and nitrogen-doped carbon materials are analysed for their ORR activity. Our studies have tried to separate the contribution of each active site to the overall ORR activity of the multi-heteroatom-doped carbon materials. Additionally, the second part of the seminar provides an overview of the electrochemical oxidation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), utilising suitable electrocatalysts. The FDCA is a sustainable alternative to terephthalic acid in the polymer industry.