Geothermal piles serve the dual purpose of supporting structural load and harvesting energy from the ground underneath. Energy harvested through geothermal piles (also referred to as heat exchanger piles or energy piles) are often used as an auxiliary measure to meet the space heating and cooling energy demand of residential and commercial buildings. Design and implementation of pile-anchored energy harvesting technology is largely influenced by successful operations of geothermal boreholes, which have been in use over the last several decades. Accordingly, heavy reliance on experience and empirical rules has partially deterred the rate of adoption of this technology in routine foundation engineering practice. While the use of the dual-purpose piles is increasingly being popular in different parts of the world (e.g., Europe, USA, and Eastern Asia), this sustainable foundation alternative is yet to be explored and adopted in the Indian geotechnical engineering practice. Significant research and development in this area over the past decade has paved the way for scientific understanding of critical aspects of geothermal pile design. This presentation will provide a basic overview of geothermal piles and describe some recent advancements in predictive thermal performance assessment of these piles. Field, operational, and design parameters that play crucial roles in thermal performance assessment of these piles will be discussed. Moreover, in the light of contemporary research, this talk will briefly discuss physics governing pile-soil heat exchange under different subsurface conditions. It is anticipated that a synchronized effort involving both academia and industry can facilitate identification of future directions towards exploration of this sustainable energy harvesting alternative in the Indian context and adoption of this innovative foundation technology in Indian geotechnical engineering practice.