Gadkari was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the 2nd Edition of the India Bioenergy & Tech Expo 25, an International Exhibition and Conference on Bioenergy and Technologies, at Yashobhoomi (New Delhi). IBET Expo 2025, the three-day event organised by Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE) and MMActiv Sci-Tech Communications.

Emphasising on the significance of biofuel for the economy and the sustainability, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, said, “Shifting to alternative fuel is crucial for India and for that diversification of agriculture towards the energy and power sector is imperative for growth because, in our country, 65 per cent population depends on agriculture, but their contribution to the GDP growth is only 14 per cent.”

 Gadkari was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the 2nd Edition of the India Bioenergy & Tech Expo 25, an International Exhibition and Conference on Bioenergy and Technologies, at Yashobhoomi (New Delhi). IBET Expo 2025, the three-day event organised by Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE) and MMActiv Sci-Tech Communications. The theme of this year’s event is “Transition to Net Zero: Need to Scale up Bio-energy initiatives”

The Union Minister said that the future of biofuel energy looks promising and has the potential to create jobs in agriculture and rural India. He called for co-operative efforts from all stakeholders to make progress in this direction.

While highlighting the importance of alternative fuels Gadkari said that India is focusing on alternative fuels like biofuels and hydrogen to combat pollution and reduce imports. Biofuels, particularly bioethanol, are being promoted to address air pollution from transport and reduce fossil fuel imports. Biofuel production from surplus agricultural products like corn and rice straw benefits farmers and the economy.

Flex-engine technology for vehicles, running on bioethanol, offers significant cost savings and reduced pollution. India aims to become a leader in sustainable aviation fuel and is developing related technologies. The automobile industry in India is rapidly growing, with a focus on electric vehicles and alternative fuels. Pilot projects for hydrogen vehicles and fuel stations are underway, with the goal of becoming an energy exporter, Gadkari informed.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Pramod Chaudhari, President, IFGE & Founder Chairman, Praj Industries informed the audience about the remarkable milestones of bioenergy sector in India and IFGE’s initiatives for scaling up new initiatives for the sector.

  “India’s biggest strength lies in the abundant stock of home-grown biotechnology, which makes us a true emerging leader to drive global biotechnology initiatives”, Dr Chaudhari said.

He further highlighted the need for coordinated action among bodies and stakeholders and cautioned against false information circulating about ethanol.

Sharing the stage with Union Minister Shri Gadkri, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Minister for Environment, Forest and Wild Life of Delhi, stressed on the pressing concern of air pollution in the National Capital and its surrounding areas.

“The only solution to today’s problem is clean energy. We thank our honourable minister and the entire division of India Bioenergy & Tech Expo. We assure that the Delhi Government will be working hand in hand with Union Ministry to mitigate the issues of air pollution and promote sustainable fuels”, he said.

Ravi Gupta, Chairman, IFGE: Sugar Bioenergy Forum & Executive Director, Shree Renuka Sugars, said, “The second edition started on a positive note. Brazil has demonstrated what biofuel can do, and I think India needs to follow those footsteps. The next two to three days, we look forward to greater interaction between stakeholders, more collaborations, and more announcements about the acceleration of this industry.”

Reiterating similar sentiments, Sanjay Ganjoo, Director General, Indian Federation of Green Energy, said, “This is the largest bioenergy event in the country, which covers all the sectors, including CBG, ethanol, SAF, biomass, advanced biofuel and CCUS, all under one roof. I urge and request all colleagues to please come and take benefit of this platform and participate.”

The dignitaries H.E. Mr. Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India, H.E. Mr. Kimmo Lahdevirta, Ambassador of Finland to India, Dr Y B Ramakrishna, Senior Vice President, IFGE; Ravindra Boratkar, Founder Member, IFGE & Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications graced the event.

The inaugural session was followed by a discussion on International Perspective on Bioenergy: Enabling Global Energy Transition, and plenary sessions on CNG, energy transition 2G Ethanol technologies and others, all focused on the central theme of the event: “Transition to Net Zero: Need to Scale up Bio-energy initiatives.”

More than 170 Senior Govt officials, policy makers, experts, industry leaders, research scholars and other dignitaries are speaking in this three-day event. In addition, over 100 companies are exhibiting their technologies, products and services.

Uttar Pradesh, one of the leading states in bioenergy, is participating as the Partner State. The event is supported by the Ministry of MNRE, Power, MoRTH, DST & MSME. Leading industry associations, including ISMA, NFCSF, IBA, GEMA, and WBA, are also supporting this event.