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Agro Universities, Collaborations, Foodgrains, India, Supply Chain

APEDA’s initiative aims to promote export of non-basmati rice varieties.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry jointly with IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) organized a workshop on “Profiling of Potential Varieties of Non-Basmati Rice and Value-Added Products of Rice” at New Delhi.

The workshop showcased the outcome of two pioneering research projects, “Comprehensive Grain and Nutritional Quality Profiling of Non-Basmati Rice” focusing on identifying high-quality aromatic, nutrient-rich rice low glycaemic index (GI) varieties with geographical indication (GI) tag germplasm from various Indian states; and “Value-Added Products from Rice and Rice-Based Food Systems”, a project aimed at creating innovative, healthier rice-based products like nutrient-dense rice muesli, whole grain rice cookies popped rice, rice flakes, and instant upma.

These significant projects, supported by APEDA, are conducted at the state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition lab at IRRI’s South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi. During the event, IRRI presented the profiling of potential non-basmati rice varieties across India and showcased value-added products with global market potential.

Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal in his keynote address acknowledged and appreciated the joint efforts of APEDA and IRRI for coming up with the focused research on the potential varieties of non-Basmati Rice. He emphasised that this joint initiative has huge potential, and the identified varieties of non-basmati rice not only possess significant export potential but also have health benefits such as low glycaemic index and is climate resilient. He further drew attention to the value addition and branding of the non-basmati rice varieties for tapping into the export potential and marketability of these varieties.

Chairman, APEDA, Abhishek Dev shared some insights on the importance of rice industry in India, the need for value addition, and research to improve sustainability and global competitiveness. He also expressed the need for collective effort to increase rice exports and benefit all stakeholders in the value chain. Further he stressed upon a starting point for developing strategies for increasing rice exports and rice-based products. Additionally, during his address, Chairman, APEDA also appreciated ISARC’s efforts, stating, “These projects not only respond to the growing demand for healthier food options but also capitalize on traditional rice varieties to create value-added products.”

Building on the success of APEDA’s initiatives, the strategic collaboration with stakeholders, alongside targeted marketing efforts by the industrial stakeholders, will be key to expanding both domestic and international market reach, thereby contributing to the premium economy and enhancing export potential under the non-basmati category.

APEDA’s support has significantly contributed to the success of these projects, enabling ISARC to pioneer advancements that will shape the future of India’s rice industry. The combined approach of developing low GI rice varieties and nutrient-dense value-added products is set to boost India’s export capabilities and promote significant economic growth within the agricultural & food processing sector.

APEDA’s initiative aims to promote export of

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Biofuel industry, Company News, Farm Mechanisation, India, Sustainable Energy

By using compressed natural gas, the Mahindra CBG powered tractor represents a significant advancement in tractor technology, reducing pollutants and carbon emissions.

Mahindra Tractors, India’s leading tractor brand, showcased its first CBG (Compressed Bio-Gas) powered Yuvo Tech+ tractor, in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India in New Delhi.

By using compressed natural gas, the Mahindra CBG powered tractor represents a significant advancement in tractor technology, reducing pollutants and carbon emissions. Compared to CNG, which is dependent on fossil fuels, compressed bio-gas is a green, renewable fuel that is sustainable and ensures reduced reliance on fossil fuels. It is produced when biodegradable materials, such as farm food and other waste is broken down.

Mahindra’s Yuvo Tech+ CBG tractor also ensures operational power and performance comparable to conventional diesel tractor technology with the capability of handling farming and haulage tasks, while delivering robust power and performance. The new CBG tractor by Mahindra is based on stringent norms fulfilling all Indian standards.

Based on the company’s vision towards promoting eco-friendly sustainable technology solutions, CBG tractor technology aims to benefit both the farming community and the environment.

Mahindra continues to lead the way in driving positive change within the agricultural sector through the introduction of innovative and sustainable products, having also showcased alternate fuel tractor technologies like a CNG tractor, an LPG tractor and dual-fuel tractor technology over the last few years.

By using compressed natural gas, the Mahindra

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Company News, India

Under I-RISE, rural youth under 35, with at least a class 10 education and farming experience, participate in a comprehensive program that includes 30 days of classroom training followed by a two-month internship.

On his maiden trip, Global CEO Syngenta, Jeff Rowe on applauded India’s strides in agriculture while participating in field demonstrations and visiting different programs to reinforce the company’s commitment to Indian farmers, youth and rural communities. Rowe announced the launch of Syngenta’s I-RISE (Inculcating Rural India Skill Enhancement) to train 1 lakh youth to prepare them for various agriculture jobs. During his day-long trip he also joined field demonstration for Climate Smart Agriculture project for Haryana, interacted with farmers in Karnal and participated in drone demonstration for spraying of crop protection solutions.

Rowe elaborated on the I-RISE initiative, which supports eight Sustainable Development Goals, describing it as a “safety net for rural prosperity in India.” He emphasized that the program focuses on training and engaging rural youth in agriculture to curb migration from villages and tackle the growing challenge of a dwindling skilled farm workforce. Under I-RISE, rural youth under 35, with at least a class 10 education and farming experience, participate in a comprehensive program that includes 30 days of classroom training followed by a two-month internship. Afterward, they have the opportunity to pursue advanced training or seek employment within the agricultural supply chain, micro-business, or farming activities. The program is built on the 3Es approach: Educate youth in agriculture through training and mentorship; Engage them through employment and entrepreneurship opportunities; and elevate their livelihood income.

On another note, Rowe emphasized Syngenta Group’s commitment as the world’s leading agricultural technology partner to transforming agriculture through customized solutions that empower farmers globally to adopt regenerative practices for the benefit of farmers, society, and the planet. During his visit to a farm in Karnal, he highlighted the Climate Smart Agriculture project as an affirmation to Syngenta’s dedication to sustainability.

Susheel Kumar, MD & Country Head of Syngenta India, provided further insights into the project, stating, “The project addresses the climate change challenges affecting rice production in Haryana and Punjab. The project includes soil health analysis to optimize fertilizer use, resulting in a reduction of 100 kg of urea per acre. Additionally, crop residue management is a key focus, with technologies like the Happy Seeder eliminating the harmful practice of burning crop residues – a significant issue in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where approximately 23 million tons of residue are burned annually.”

Under I-RISE, rural youth under 35, with

AgroPolicy, Finance, Schemes - Govt

 The schemes include Digital Agriculture Mission, Crop science for food, Sustainable livestock health and production, Strengthening Agricultural Education, Sustainable development of Horticulture and Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approved seven schemes to improve farmers’ lives and increase their incomes at a total outlay of Rs 14,235.30 Crore.

1. Digital Agriculture Mission: based on the structure of Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital Agriculture Mission will use technology for improving farmers’ lives. The Mission has a total outlay of Rs 2.817 crores. It comprises two foundational pillars.

 Agri Stack

Farmers registry

Village land maps registry

Crop Sown Registry

 Krishi Decision Support System

Geospatial data

Drought/flood monitoring

Weather/satellite data

Groundwater/water availability data

Modelling for crop yield and insurance

 The Mission has provision for

Soil profile

Digital crop estimation

Digital yield modelling

Connect for crop loan

Modern technologies like AI and Big Data

Connect with buyers

Bring new knowledge on mobile phones

2. Crop science for food and nutritional security: with a total outlay of Rs 3,979 crore. The initiative will prepare farmers for climate resilience and provide for food security by 2047. It has following pillars:

Research and education

Plant genetic resource management

Genetic improvement for food and fodder crop

Pulse and oilseed crop improvement

Improvement of commercial crops

Research on insects, microbes, pollinators etc.

3. Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management and Social Sciences: with a total outlay of Rs 2,291 Crore the measure will prepare agriculture students and researchers for current challenges and comprises the following:

Under Indian Council of Agri Research

Modernising agri research and education

In line with New Education Policy 2020

Use latest technology … Digital DPI, AI, big data, remote, etc

Include natural farming and climate resilience

4. Sustainable livestock health and production: with a total outlay of Rs 1,702 crore, the decision aims to Increase farmers income from livestock and dairy. It comprises the following

Animal health management and veterinary education

Dairy production and technology development

Animal genetic resource management, production and improvement

Animal nutrition and small ruminant production and development

5. Sustainable development of Horticulture: with a total outlay of Rs 1129.30 crore the measure is aimed at increasing farmers’ income from horticulture plants. It comprises the following

Tropical, sub-tropical and temperate horticulture crops

Root, tuber, bulbous and arid crops

Vegetable, floriculture, and mushroom crops

 Plantation, spices, medicinal, and aromatic plants

6. Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra with an outlay of Rs 1,202 crore

7. Natural Resource Management with an outlay of Rs 1,115 crore.

 The schemes include Digital Agriculture Mission, Crop

Agribusiness, Drones, India, Interaction

In an exclusive conversation with AgroSpectrum, Asitava Sen, CEO of CropLife India, elaborated on drone technology and its benefits for the agriculture business.

 In most of the remote villages, internet connectivity is major challenge. How can these machines overcome this hurdle?

The communication between drones is accomplished through the use of radio waves on particular radio frequencies. These frequencies are managed by telecom equipment that has been authorised by the Ministry of Telecommunication. When the drone is in visual line of sight, internet access is not required for it to accomplish its task; however, this is subject to product-specific requirements. Following the restoration of internet access, the drones will be able to communicate their data, which includes photographs and videos shot during flight, flight coordinates, and other information. 

It is estimated that 93 per cent of rural areas in India have access to 3G or 4G connectivity, and India is the second largest online market in the world. In light of these facts, it is only a matter of time before the digital divide will be bridged, which will allow for the smooth operation of all digital technologies, including drones. Additionally, it is important to remember that the demand will push the bounds of supply.

 What are the various challenges faced by the agro drone industry?

Research conducted in other Asian countries with smallholder farms has demonstrated that drone technology is a feasible option. For more than three decades, Japan has been making use of drone technology. In China alone, the number of agricultural drones is believed to have doubled between 2016 and 2017, reaching 13,000 aircrafts, and 30 million hectares of crop land was sprayed by drones in 2019. This information comes from research conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

 The profitability of drones will be determined by a variety of business models that are employed to make it viable throughout the year. Drones are twenty times more efficient than traditional transportation. As has been observed in other nations, the reduction in cost per acre will occur as a result of the growing uptake and use of the technology. It has been demonstrated that the expenses of any new technology, such as mobile phones, decrease considerably with more usage over a period of time to a large degree. 

Because of the economies of scale in usage, the operating expenses of drones spraying per hectare in several Asian nations are currently similar to just Rs 100 to 150 for field crops (rice, wheat and maize), and Rs 250 to 400 for orchards. This is because of the fact that the usage of drones has become more widespread. Similar tendencies would be followed by India.

In the context of smallholder farmers, the “Drones as a Service” concept will give rise to the emergence of unique hiring models that involve many entities acting as service providers. Through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, the government has already announced drone subsidy schemes that cover about forty percent to one hundred percent of the cost of drones. These schemes are intended for KVKs, FPOs, custom recruiting centres, rural entrepreneurs, start-ups, and individual farmers.

The most recent policies and liberal Production Linked Incentives (PLI) that have been announced by the government will also assist ‘Make in India’ drones, and the cost of drones will decrease over a period of time as a result of indigenisation.

Although it is still relatively new in India, the use of drones for spraying agrochemicals is getting closer. Farmers can afford it, it contributes to the production of higher goods, and it is a significant instrument for ensuring the nation’s food security. Through the use of “Kisan Drones,” the digitalisation of Indian agriculture and rural entrepreneurship would be brought about in the country.

Now that the policy framework has been established, it is the ideal moment to investigate the ways in which all of the stakeholders may collaborate to assist in the development of a conducive ecosystem for drone applications in agriculture, particularly agrochemical spraying.

Government of India has released Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for use of drones for the purpose of spraying pesticides on agriculture crops. Do you think this positive move encourages further growth of this sector?

There has been an exceptional process of policy development that is both collaborative and consultative, and it has been carried out at a rapid pace by the government with the participation of stakeholders. In its capacity as a prominent association of agrochemical businesses, CropLife was actively involved in the formulation of the standard operating procedure and guidelines for drone applications. As a member of the expert committee, CropLife coordinated the dissemination of best practices throughout Asian nations. Now that these principles have been established, they will be evaluated and used as a standard for ongoing activities in other Asian countries.

Within the past few months, the government has made it possible to obtain interim approval for the use of drones to apply crop protection formulations that have previously been approved. It has been decided that drones can be used to spray all permitted insecticides, fungicides, PGR, and bio-pesticide formulations for a period of two years, provided that specific parameters are met. Certainly, this is a wonderful breakthrough and a significant step forward in the process.

 There is a set of skills required to operate these drones. Do you feel that our farmers are equipped with such skills and if not, then what steps are needed to impart operational knowledge to them?

The National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) has designed a ten-day integrated training cum licensing module for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots and operators in order to give them the requisite abilities. This training is not only required but also necessary in order to guarantee the most effective and appropriate operation of drones.

                                                                                                                                      By Nitin Konde

In an exclusive conversation with AgroSpectrum, Asitava

Biofuel industry, India, Nature, Opinions, Sustainable Energy

 By Ramakrishna Y B, Former Chairman, National Working Group on Biofuels, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

India’s fastest growing economy is fuelled by energy. India’s energy consumption has more than doubled since 2000 and is growing rapidly. Oil and gas account for over 35 per cent of the total energy consumed in the country. Over 87 per cent of oil and around 44 per cent of gas consumed in the country are imported. India is the third largest consumer of oil after the US and China. The successful implementation of National Policy on Biofuel will not only help steadily move towards energy self-reliance but will help boost the rural economy, employment generation, additional income to farmers and create a clean and green environment in the process fulfilling the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Net Zero initiatives.

The NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the Biofuel Programme in 2014. It was a shocking and surprising revelation that implementation of Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) was hovering around just 1.4 per cent on pan India basis as against a target of achieving 20 per cent blending by 2017.  A National Working group was constituted in 2015 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) to draw a new road map and suggest ways for effective implementation of the program. A Biofuel cell was also created in MoP&NG. Biofuel substitution was identified as a highly potential opportunity to achieve the Prime Minister’s target to reduce fossil fuel import by 10 per cent by 2022.

National Policy on Biofuel 2018

The Government of India took a decision to shift the Biofuel Programme from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to MoP&NG in early 2018. MoP&NG soon came up with a New National Biofuel Policy – 2018. The policy aimed to utilise, develop and promote domestic feedstock for production of biofuels thereby increasingly substituting fossil fuels contributing to energy security. It also aimed at climate change mitigation apart from employment generation in a sustainable way.

The goal of the policy was to achieve about 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol and about 5 per cent blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030.  This goal will be achieved by

Reinforcing ongoing ethanol/biodiesel supplies through increasing domestic production

Setting up 2nd generation bio refineries

Development of new feedstock for biofuels

Development of new technologies for conversion to biofuels

Creating suitable environment for biofuels and its mainstreaming

The NBP-2018 allows ethanol production from B- Molasses, sugar cane juice, sugar syrup, crops such as sugar beet, sweet sorghum, corn, cassava, rotten potatoes and surplus & rotten food grains unfit for human consumption. These initiatives came as a boon to the sugar industry bogged down with excess sugar production, unattractive domestic and international prices, and accumulated dues to sugarcane growers. Even the government had to spend several thousand crores of rupees to subsidise the export of sugar to sail over the excess sugar production to an extent of 6-8 million metric tonnes (MMT) a year in the market. Sugar mills, while balancing the sugar production to ensure meeting domestic demands, started building additional distillery capacity and fully utilising the under-utilized capacities. 

There has been a lot of debate about the policy allowing the food grain for production of ethanol. The food vs. energy security arguments re-surfaced. The policy was a well thought out exercise. India is the largest producer and exporter of cereals globally. Having met its own and export demand more than 40 MMT of food grain was declared unfit for human or animal consumption. The rationale was to divert this surplus for ethanol production. Several interventions are being offered to grow sugar beet, sweet sorghum and especially corn involving the farming community in the marginal and under productive arable land. Broad basing the feedstocks for first generation ethanol also resulted in investment decisions to set up several hundred grain based standalone distilleries.

Growing ethanol supplies

Government of India policies coupled with the overwhelming response from the sugar industry, independent distilleries and not in the least aggressive blending programme by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) resulted in achieving the 10 per cent blending target five months ahead of the target date of October 2022.  As of date (June 2024) the pan Indian blending has crossed 15 per cent  and E20 is being sold through 14000 retail outlets. All these new initiatives are expected to help reach more than 15 billion litres per annum of first-generation ethanol by 2025. It is estimated that the country needs about 10 to 11 billion litres of ethanol to achieve a 20 per cent blending target by 2025. The surplus ethanol will be marketed as E100 (there are already 350 retail outlets selling E100) and diverted for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production.

The commitment demonstrated by all the stakeholder has given the confidence to the government of India to advance the 20 per cent blending target from 2030 to 2025. With a 10 per cent blending target achieved in May 2022, India enters into the league of three nations to have achieved this milestone besides Brazil and the United States of America.

To read more click: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

 By Ramakrishna Y B, Former Chairman, National

Biofuel industry, India, Opinions, Sustainable Energy

By Dr S S V Ramakumar, Chief Technology Officer & Member, Management Committee, AM Green

India, as per estimates, generates every year approximately 20 MMT of surplus agricultural residues of different crop varieties. Discounting some quantity of the same for animal/cattle fodder, a large amount of the same is available for value addition. In the absence of proper value addition avenues, often these residues will pose disposal issues and end up as environmental menace, when resorting to burning. Recent technological advances make these residues a precious bio-energy resource. Many green energy options can be derived from these residues like second generation ethanol (E2G), compressed biogas and a host of platform green chemicals. The recent value-added green product that is being thought of from these residues is sustainable aviation fluids (SAF). Let’s explore the possibilities.

The aviation industry accounts for 2-3 per cent of global CO2 emissions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a part of larger climate goals has put forward the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). As per CORSIA standards, the compliance phase starts from 2027 from which time, each country needs to reduce its aviation emission footprint by 50 per cent by 2050 from a base line of 2005 levels.

Aircrafts are normally propelled by petroleum derived jet fuel and global annual consumption at pre-COVID levels is 360 billion litres. Emission reduction measures in an aircraft generally by efficiency improvement, electrification and resort to clean fuel propulsion by hydrogen. Any engine modification is extremely cost & time intensive, and rest of the measures stated are farfetched. Hence, the easiest of CORSIA emission compliance measures is to blend a certain permissible amount of clean burning bio-/sustainable aviation fuel in the normal jet fuel. This way one can easily meet the emission reduction target by virtue of lesser CO2 emissions emitted by SAF. The blending percentage of SAF depends on its nature and production pathway and the target quantum of emission reduction being aimed. The blending percentage, to start with, varies from as low as 2 per cent to as high as 50 per cent.  

Production Pathways

Presently, there are nine pathways approved by ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, to produce SAF from various feedstocks. These are coal, Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), fermented sugars and alcohols.  As far as India is concerned, Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) and HEFA based technologies are more suitable. More than HEFA which suffers feedstock availability concerns, ATJ is a more plausible technology. Alcohols (mostly ethyl alcohol) can be produced from a variety of bio-feedstocks including agri residues. That’s how agri residues caught the flight of imagination of one and all for value addition into SAF. The degree of value addition can be inferred from the fact that SAF is currently priced three times higher than conventional fossil-based ATF (jet fuel).

The ICAO proposes SAF blending as 2 per cent by 2025, 5 per cent by 2030,17.5 per cent by 2035, 40 per cent by 2040, 45 per cent by 2045 and 65 per cent by 2050. A recent announcement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the Centre stipulates the indicative target of 1, 2 and 5 per cent of SAF blending in ATF in India by 2027, 2028 and 2030 respectively initially for international flights. One per cent blending of SAF by 2027 as per current Indian ATF consumption levels is equivalent to around 100 TPD, if we restrict to only international flights. Many leading countries like Brazil, Norway, the USA, the UK and Indonesia have announced blending targets ranging from as low as 0.5 per cent immediately to up to 30 per cent    by 2030 and various fiscal incentives and reward schemes for blending in place.

Ethanol can be produced from essentially two or three pathways using agri/bio feedstocks. Most common way of producing ethanol is by fermentation of sugar/sugar syrup or sugar cane molasses, maize which is known as 1G pathway.  Lignocellulosic agri residues like rice, wheat, paddy straw, various specialised grasses (energy crops like Napier, Switchgrass etc.) can also yield ethanol through a 3-step bio-chemical process of pre-treatment, hydrolysis (saccharification) and fermentation which is also known as E2G. There is a third pathway where CO2/CO emissions in the off-gases of steel mills and refineries can be fermented to yield ethanol (which we can call third generation ethanol (E3G). All these types of ethanol can be further upgraded through chemical processes to form SAF. Of these, the carbon intensity of 1G ethanol is estimated to be high and hence SAF produced from the 1G feedstock is not EU RED-II/III compliant thereby making them barred presently for European markets. Indian and the US regulatory systems accept SAF produced from any type of ethanol.   

Indian ethanol production projections by 2030 from all routes explained above would reach the 2000 crore litre mark. Of this quantity, even if gasoline blending by 2030 at 20 per cent requires 1000 crore  litres, India would be surplus in ethanol. Hence, ATJ pathway is one of the potential pathways to produce SAF in India. IndianOil has announced the construction of 86 KTPA of SAF plant at their Panipat Refinery using LanzaJet (USA) ATJ technology. Several private players are also in the process of setting up commercial scale SAF facilities in India.

To read more click: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

By Dr S S V Ramakumar,

Biofuel industry, India, Opinions, Sustainable Energy

 By Santanu Gupta, Executive Director (Alternate Energy), Indian Oil Corporation

The global bioenergy landscape is evolving rapidly, with countries around the world recognising its potential to address climate change, enhance energy security, and promote sustainable development. India, with its abundant biomass resources and growing energy demand, is uniquely positioned to lead in the bioenergy sector, particularly in the production and utilisation of Compressed Biogas (CBG). Let’s delve deep as to how CBG can be a new hope for energy independence for India.

The Prime Minister of India along with the leaders of Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and UAE, launched the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) on September 9, 2023, on the side-lines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. As of date, 24 countries and 12 international organisations have joined the GBA. GBA will support worldwide development and deployment of sustainable biofuels. There are already worldwide interactions on Biofuels through GBA.

The Government of India has put several policies in place to boost bioenergy. The National Policy on Biofuels – 2018 (NPB) which was amended in 2022 is a major step towards development of a sustainable biofuels ecosystem across the country. The policy categorises biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” namely First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and “Advanced Biofuels” – Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation (3G) biofuels, Compressed Biogas (CBG). NPB has set a target of 20  per cent  ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26. As per the “Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25”, the estimated requirement for 20  per cent  ethanol blending in Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26 is approximately 1016 crore litres and this quantity of petrol will be replaced by ethanol. As per the Roadmap, a successful E20 programme can save the country about $4 billion per annum. Similarly, a target of 5  per cent  blending of biodiesel in diesel has been considered under NPB by 2030.

India is focusing on biogas and CBG as part of its strategy to diversify its energy mix. Derived from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste, such as agricultural residues, cattle dung, and municipal solid waste, CBG is purified and compressed to be used as a vehicular fuel, industrial fuel, commercial fuel or injected into the natural gas grid.

CBG offers numerous benefits to our country and the environment. Production of CBG will assist in increasing the green energy mix, reduce import dependence, create employment especially in rural areas and reduce pollution due to crop burning. This will largely create value and employment in the rural economy across the supply chain from biomass collection to plant operation. CBG contributes to cleaner air and better public health compared to conventional fossil fuels. Production of CBG is also in alignment with Centre’s programmes of Climate Change mitigation, import reduction, energy security through replacement of fossil fuel, “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, “Make in India”, “Swachh Bharat Mission” and creating a circular economy.

The Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative, launched in 2018, is a key government programme aimed at promoting CBG production and its use as a vehicular fuel. This initiative aligns with India’s broader goals of reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and enhancing energy security.

To read more click: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

 By Santanu Gupta, Executive Director (Alternate Energy),

Carbon Farming, India, Opinions, Sustainability

 By Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog

Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) has an important and critical role to play in decarbonising the industrial and power sector. Since CCUS is at a nascent stage of deployment, government support and incentives are needed to promote the adoption and development of CCUS technologies at a commercial scale in India. The next decade is that of CCUS – where global capture of CO2 will increase manifold, investments will be at an all-time high and hundreds of such facilities will be built – the world shall look up to India in its carbon management plan. The time is right for India to progress towards a dedicated national CCUS Mission, taking inspiration from endeavours like the National Green Hydrogen Mission, National Solar Mission, etc. Let’s look at how India is looking at CCUS as an opportunity in meeting four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and can join the league of major world economies in the CCUS world map.

India stands at a critical juncture in its clean energy journey. We are the world’s third-largest CO2 emitter, yet committed to ambitious decarbonisation goals of 45 per cent emission reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2070. While the expansion of renewable power is a notable success in India’s clean energy transition, the power sector accounts for only a third of total emissions, which are expected to decline as renewables replace fossil fuels.

The growing industrial economy emits close to another third of the aggregate emissions that are hard to lessen, due to the use of fossil fuels not only as a source of energy but within the process itself, and will continue to increase, unless new technologies and carbon abatement mechanisms are deployed. At the same time, while we phase down the use of fossil energy sources over time, India will be dependent on coal for a long time, to support the ever-increasing energy demand and meet the requirements for affordable and reliable baseload power.

To read more click: E-Magazine – AgroSpectrum Asia

 By Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI

AgroPolicy, India, Interaction, Opinions

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways Government of India

Bioenergy is a promise for the better future of India and indeed a win-win situation for our country. It has the potential to address several issues being faced by the country- from income to independence, savings to sustainability and employment to entrepreneurship. It has the potential to increase farmers’ income, make the nation self-sufficient in fuels with oil import substitutes, save the country’s huge funds, provide a sustainable alternative in the energy sector, grow employment prospects and provide entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly in the MSME sector. Let’s explore this further.

I have been observing and saying that we need to find alternative to fossil fuel. Oil import for fossil fuels like petrol, diesel and gas is currently costing our country Rs 18 lakh crore per year. Thus, the oil import Bill is a matter of serious concern for our economy. Finding alternatives to fuel imports to save the nation’s fund is paramount for our economy. If this huge amount being spent on oil import is saved, it can be utilised for the development of the country.

Secondly, fossil fuels pose serious threat to environment in terms of pollution they cause. This is a matter of serious concern as it could lead to increase in the respiratory and lungs related diseases. Reduction in pollution and moving towards sustainability is also possible by biofuels and bioenergy. One more cause for very serious pollution in parts of North India is burning stubbles in the farm after harvesting. Interestingly, stubble burning and bioenergy are complementary to each other. The stubbles can be used for bioenergy resolving three issues at a time – a) giving farmers income for waste which they are burning 2) converting the stubbles into biomass for different forms of bioenergy and 3) providing a solution to the problem of pollution caused by stubble burning.

Focusing on bioenergy development will also lead to farmers’ development. The condition of the agriculture sector in India is not satisfactory. Despite having surplus production of wheat, sugar, rice and corn, the agriculture sector is contributing only 12 to 14 per cent to the GDP of the country and the fact remains that almost 65 per cent of the population of the country is dependent on agriculture for livelihood. As a result, the rural population, particularly poor, unemployed and small farmers, has to face serious problems. To improve their condition, the agriculture sector’s contribution to the GDP should be more than 25 per cent and for that we need to go for the crop diversification – shifting our focus to energy crops.

Shifting to Viable Alternatives

Diversification of agriculture towards power and energy generation is the need of the hour. We have shifted our focus on the production of ethanol, methanol, Bio-CNG, Bio-LNG, Bio-bitumen and hydrogen (Green fuel). Alternative energy, green fuel, bio energy are very important for the development of the country.

To increase the use of alternate fuels, the government has launched various schemes like blending petrol with ethanol, producing first, second and third generations ethanol, allowing mixing lignin in bitumen etc. Recently the union cabinet has approved the production of ethanol from sugarcane, bamboo, B-molasses and C-molasses, foodgrains and broken rice and corn.

India is having surplus production of sugar, and the rate of sugar is less in the Brazil market. Hence, it is advisable to use surplus sugarcane for the production of ethanol. We have already started blending 15 per cent ethanol in petrol and very soon we will achieve the 20 per cent ethanol blending target. Automobile companies have started the production of cars fitted with flex engines which run fully on ethanol. Toyota has already produced flex engine cars and others like Tata, Suzuki are also about to launch flex engine cars. The flex engines generate 60 per cent of electric power and require 40 per cent of ethanol. If you compare the cost with petrol, the flex engine vehicles cost only Rs 25 per litre.

To read more click: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport &

Biofuel industry, India, Interaction, Sustainable Energy

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister, Road Transport and Highways was speaking at the inaugural of International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy & Technologies 2024 in Dwarka, Delhi.

“Promoting the biofuel sector in India would benefit the country’s agriculture sector. Bioenergy sector is set to reach 50 per cent of fossil fuel in the next five years”, said Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister, Road Transport and Highways during the inaugural session of the India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024.

Gadkari announced that 400 Ethanol pumps are starting in India, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Every year import of fossil fuel is 22 lakh tonnes.

He mentioned that it is not the problem with air pollution, but it is also a deep economic concern for the country. Today agriculture and allied industry share in GDP is 12 per cent, manufacturing 20-25 per cent, service sector 20-25 per cent. The promotion of the bioenergy sector will help to achieve a 5 trillion economy dream.

The 3-day event started from September 2, 2024, is organised by the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE) and MMActiv Sci-Tech Communications, is an International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy & Technologies at Yashobhoomi – India International Convention & Expo Centre in Dwarka, Delhi. It represents a significant step in advancing the bioenergy sector and is supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Dr Pramod Chaudhri President, IFGE & Executive Chairperson, Praj Industries, Ravindra Boratkar Founder Member of IFGE and Managing director of MM Activ Sci -Tech Communication, were present at the inaugural session.

AgroSpectrum September 24 issue devoted to the bioenergy sector in India was published by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and dignitaries during the inaugural session.

 Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, stated that the government is making efforts to increase the use of biofuels in India. The target year for achieving 20 per cent ethanol-blending has been advanced by five years to 2025, and there are plans for 5 per cent blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030. Additionally, oil companies have been directed to sell 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol, and BIS specifications for higher ethanol blends (E12 and E15) indicate the government’s emphasis on biofuels and alternative energy sources.

IIT Delhi and IFGE signed an MoU for the Centre of Excellence at IIT Delhi for Bioenergy. The Biodiesel Association of India also facilitated awards to Indian Oil Corporation, Emami Agrotech, Blue Stone Energy, and Kem Energy.

The event will feature diverse exhibitors from the bioenergy, biofuel, biomass, CBG (Compressed Biogas) production, ethanol end users, technology providers, equipment, and machinery EPC industries.

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister, Road Transport