Gadkari urges sugar mills to make CBG; says Rs 22 lakh crore goes for fuel imports
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has urged Indian sugar mills to diversify into value-added products like compressed bio-gas (CBG) and ethanol to offset declining profitability in sugar production. He highlighted that this transition could help reduce India's massive fossil fuel import bill of Rs 22 lakh crore while boosting rural income and job creation.
Why it matters
Expanding into biofuel and CBG production can significantly cut India's reliance on imported fossil fuels, reduce agricultural waste like stubble burning, and create substantial economic opportunities in the rural sector.
India imports most of the fuel it consumes - be it crude oil, LPG, or even LNG. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said that India’s agriculture sector can help drive down imported costs of fossil fuels, while at the same time using a combination of futuristic technology and a forward-looking vision if it is to become economically sustainable and help drive prosperity in rural India.Addressing the National Efficiency Awards ceremony organised by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, Gadkari recently said producing sugar alone is no longer economically sustainable in view of global market conditions and the higher cost of production in India.Make gas, ethanol, aviation fuelGadkari has called on sugar mills to expand into value-added by-products, particularly compressed bio-gas (CBG), ethanol, bio-manure and sustainable aviation fuel."Instead of dumping waste into road embankments, if we convert it into gas - into CBG - our…
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