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HomePosts Tagged "Suhas Baxi"
Agribusiness, Company News, Environment, India, Start ups, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Warehousing

With this move, the company aims to aggregate 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy straw this season, while generating new income opportunities for local farmers.

 BiofuelCircle, India’s leading digital platform for the bioenergy supply chain, is expanding its reach into rural India to build sustainable biomass aggregation. In its latest initiative, the company is setting up eight new warehouses—four near Mauda and four near Bhandara in Nagpur—to support biomass aggregation at scale. These warehouses will be equipped with the latest technology equipment including slashers, balers, rakers, etc. With this move, the company aims to aggregate 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy straw this season, while generating new income opportunities for local farmers.

To engage with local farmers directly, BiofuelCircle concluded an event in Mujbi near Mauda. Local administration representatives graced the event and launched the Mujbi Biomass Bank, signaling strong community support for this initiative. The officials discussed the importance of effective methods for aggregating paddy straw and emphasized on how initiatives like Biomass Banks can support the aggregation process while maintaining sustainability in the ecosystem.

The event saw participation from over 100 local farmers from surrounding villages. A live demonstration showcased how agri-waste bales are created, which generated considerable interest among farmers. These farmers showed keen interest in participation in paddy straw aggregation.

BiofuelCircle’s digital platform has deployed GPS and Telematics based apps to promote rural biomass businesses.  It is aimed at streamlining an efficient system for the collection and transportation of paddy straw. This enables creation of rural biomass businesses in the state.

It has also deployed advanced, digitally integrated machines like balers to collect and process stubble. Through this effort, BiofuelCircle envisions building a circular economy where agricultural residue is converted into valuable resources, supporting rural income generation and contributing to a cleaner environment.

BiofuelCircle’s Biomass Bank initiative plays a central role in this effort by offering a secure and transparent platform for farmers to sell their paddy straw. The collected residue will be processed into biofuels and other bio-based products, providing farmers with a reliable income stream while tackling the environmental concerns associated with stubble burning. Currently, the company has 31 warehouses which it plans to double across key agricultural states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh among others in this year.

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO of BiofuelCircle, stated, “India has a tremendous opportunity to harness its vast biomass potential—235 million metric tonnes annually to drive sustainable energy transformation. Through our Biomass Banks, we are not only creating a market for agricultural waste but also empowering farmers and rural communities to become key players in the bioenergy ecosystem.

Each Biomass Bank serves as a hub, catering to clusters of villages and enabling over 2,000 farmers to monetize their agri-waste while creating new income-generation avenues for tractor owners and local entrepreneurs. This year, we are launching 50 Biomass Banks across India, including 10 in Maharashtra in locations such as Nagpur, Kurkumbh, Nagothane, and Palghar.

By reaching out to over 20,000 farmers in these regions, we aim to foster a thriving rural bioeconomy, demonstrating that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand”, he adds.

BiofuelCircle’s ongoing efforts in Nagpur and its surrounding regions are part of a broader mission to build a reliable and efficient biomass supply chain in India. By aggregating agricultural residue and converting it into a valuable resource, BiofuelCircle is not only providing a solution to stubble burning but also generating new economic opportunities for farmers, tractor operators, and rural entrepreneurs.

With this move, the company aims to

Agribusiness, Biofuel industry, Company News, India, Supply Chain

This expansion is aimed at streamlining biomass collection and enhancing rural entrepreneurship envisages a total investment of Rs 75 Crore in FY 2024-25.

BiofuelCircle, a leading digital platform for the bioenergy supply chain, is expanding its reach into rural India to build sustainable biomass aggregation infrastructure. The company plans to more than double its rural warehouses from 15 to 35, across key agricultural states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. The company’s mobile platform will deploy GPS and Telematics based apps to promote rural biomass businesses.  This expansion is aimed at streamlining biomass collection and enhancing rural entrepreneurship envisages a total investment of Rs 75 Crore in FY 2024-25. BiofuelCircle successfully completed an equity round that raised Rs 45 crore, led by Spectrum Impact; and has signed a term loan agreement with Jio Finance for the balance investment.

The initiative addresses India’s paddy stubble burning issue and follows BiofuelCircle’s ‘Parali Se Ujjawal Bhavishya’ program in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. The program has deployed over 40 advanced, digitally integrated machines to collect and process stubble, preventing approximately 30,000 MT of agricultural residue from being burned across 25,000 acres. The Ramnagar Biomass Bank™ will benefit more than 5,000 farmers across 30 villages.

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO of BiofuelCircle, stated, “We aim to connect over 70,000 farmers and aggregate more than 250,000 metric tonnes of biomass by the end of FY 2024-25. Our platform provides farmers access to modern infrastructure, turning agricultural waste into a valuable resource and contributing to a circular economy.”

The company’s model supports rural entrepreneurship by engaging over 1,000 tractor-driving rural partners. Biomass aggregation is projected to triple from 232,000 MT in FY 2023-24 to more than 800,000 MT by FY 2024-25. BiofuelCircle plans to operate in 10 states by March 2025.

“We are creating a participatory ecosystem where rural communities can drive their economic growth,” added Baxi. “By providing farmers with easier market access for their biomass, we’re helping them turn waste into wealth while addressing a critical environmental challenge.”

BiofuelCircle’s digital platform also supplies Fermented Organic Manure to farmers, supporting sustainable agricultural practices and positioning the company as a leader in India’s transition to cleaner energy solutions.

BiofuelCircle is proud to be ranked 8th on LinkedIn’s 2024 list of India’s Top Startups, the first biofuel company to receive this honor. This recognition highlights our commitment to transforming the biofuel supply chain and driving sustainable energy solutions across India.

This expansion is aimed at streamlining biomass

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Biofuel industry, Company News, Environment, India, Start ups, Sustainability

Over 40+ units of balers, rakers, slashers and tractor trollies are deployed at BiofuelCircle’s Ramnagar Biomass Bank in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.

 BiofuelCircle, strengthened its commitment to empower rural India for generating wealth from agri-waste at an event ‘Parali Se Ujjawal Bhavishya’, held at the Ramnagar Biomass BankTM in  Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. BiofuelCircle enables a participative ecosystem at rural level. It deployed a fleet of 40+ digitally networked machines, including balers, rakers, and slashers procured from Maschio Gaspardo, a global agricultural equipment provider, to drive streamline field clearing for farmers and by farmers while mitigating the environmental hazards of traditional farming methods and creating biomass entrepreneurship at the same time.

The event saw participation from over 100 farmers and industry partners. This initiative forms part of BiofuelCircle’s mission to establish Biomass Banks locally which are rural enterprises that aggregate stubble (Parali) in the region, where an estimated 30,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of stubble will be collected from 25,000 acres of farmland, involving 5,000 farmers across 30+ villages in Uttar Pradesh.  The machine fleet on the ground is an enabler for locals to create enterprises around parali collection, transport and storage. The farmers can rent their tractors on BiofuelCircle platform, become equipment operators and generate additional earning opportunities through the parali season. The locally setup warehouses offer year-round employment opportunities. This is only start of the season and more locations across India will follow suit.

While presiding over the event, Manish Kapoor, Vice President, BiofuelCircle said, “We are excited to introduce the first large-scale deployment of modern farm-clearing equipment in Barabanki. This is a first of its kind’s initiative in India. This will ensure efficient and timely clearing of farmlands. By deploying fleet, state-of-the-art farm clearing machines, we will save 30,000 MT of stubble from being burned, while also creating new economic opportunities for local farmers for better livelihood. We have also set up three Biomass Banks with three warehouses in Barabanki alone, creating dedicated biomass supply chains for Compressed BioGas (CBG) plants, powered by BioFuelCircle’s digital platform and its Biomass Bank model.”

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle shares, “The greatest challenge has been the efficient collection and timely clearing of stubble from farms which leads farmers to try alternate methods which are not environment friendly. With the use of telematics, GPS, and state-of-the art cloud-based platform, we are creating an organized framework for collection, logistics and storage management at scale. With these technology enablers, we are engaging with 150 locals as tractor drivers, fleet operators, supervisors with assured business activities and over 200 laborers. We are ensuring rural participation and driving local entrepreneurship around biomass activities.”

BiofuelCircle is pioneering the establishment of dedicated biomass supply chains for Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants through its innovative digital platform-enabled Biomass Bank model. BiofuelCircle’s initiative not only mitigates the environmental impact of stubble burning but also contributes to rural economic activity by creating a more structured and sustainable biomass supply chain that is also participative and inclusive. The company’s efforts are a testament to its commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices while ensuring the economic empowerment of farmers.

Over 40+ units of balers, rakers, slashers

Biofuel industry, India, Interaction

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BiofuelCircle shares his view on the biomass supply chain with AgroSpectrum in an exclusive interview.

A cloud-based platform, the BiofuelCircle Marketplace links supply chain participants in rural areas with industry. Businesses are able to tap into a previously unregulated market for verified local biomass and biofuel providers. Suppliers of biomass and biofuels, in turn, are able to network with potential customers ranging in size from individuals to corporations. In a recent test auction on the BioFuelCircle platform, NTPC Limited successfully sold biomass pellets to NTPC Mouda. Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BiofuelCircle shares his view on the biomass supply chain with AgroSpectrum in an exclusive interview.

In what ways do you think allied industries will use agri-waste in the future? How much agri-waste does India produce each year, and what percentage of that has been put to use by allied industries?

Every year, farms in an agricultural nation like India produce at least 235 million metric tonnes of extra agricultural residue. This amounts to around 25 per cent of India’s oil imports, which is the same as 125 million MT of coal or 600 million barrels of crude oil. When used in its entirety, this agricultural waste has the ability to provide 17 per cent of the nation’s energy demands, provide farmers with a new revenue stream, and boost employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas. The potential biomass market in our nation is large enough to fuel an economy worth forty billion dollars. But for a variety of reasons, over 70 per cent ends up in the trash or burned.

We must set up a whole farm-to-fuel ecosystem if we want to make the most of this opportunity. Coordinating and empowering all parties involved in the biomass supply chain would necessitate tremendous effort, considering the precarious nature of the rural-industrial connection. 

Could you please list the most significant obstacles in turning agri-waste into a high-quality product or service?

Research of India’s agricultural biomass sector reveals that inefficient supply chains are to blame for the country’s pollution and wasting problems.  Aggregation becomes more challenging when rural resources are fragmented, meaning that land holdings are tiny and dispersed. While biomass is needed continuously, it is only available for a short period of time each year during harvests. Logistics and storage costs are very high, which is another big problem. One more thing hurting the already-suffering rural suppliers: they can’t reach industrial buyers directly.

How is the government supporting companies which are working in recycling agricultural waste into a viable product?

This industry has been designated as a priority sector for loans by the government of India. Several programmes have been established by the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. There is a demand for start-up capital in the biomass supply chain, biomass aggregation and processing, and bioenergy refineries. Providing tools is simply one part of the approach. Here is an area where the public and private sectors, in addition to the government, are working together to accomplish both short-term goals and long-term objectives.  As part of our Local Markets mechanism for the supply chain of biomass, we are collaborating with MNRE to establish biomass businesses in rural areas.

How technology can be the game changer in this drive of converting agri-waste to a formidable product?

A few million farmers, seasonal supplies, small rural businesses, round the year industrial demand and service providers for transport, quality, finance etc make for an interesting use case for digitalisation. To top it, traceability of biomass from its origin to its end use will create a reliable framework for carbon neutrality. Along the way, one also needs to address issues associated with incentivization, price discovery, standardisation, and supply reliability.

While applications such as food delivery, transport services etc which have a consumer end use have become popular, for biomass one needs a platform that makes it easy for millions of farmers to participate, while providing a robust framework for industries too. All this requires a strong technological connection which has to be coupled with a skilled and hardworking team. The biomass supply chain is still at a very early stage. We currently use about 20 per cent of the available Agri-residue biomass. At its maturity, the biomass product supply chain has a potential to be more than 40 billion US$ in annual turnover. The opportunity is for us to put a strong digital technology framework that creates ease, efficiency, reliability, and choice.

What inputs are required for the growth of the biomass sector in India?

Technology, legislation, finance, and infrastructure are all important parts of the puzzle when it comes to expanding India’s biomass industry. Spending on research and development to enhance processing, conversion, and yield of biomass feedstock is one major requirement. Another area of focus is in-depth research into improved harvesting methods and the creation of disease-resistant biomass crops with increased yields. Cooperation with development organisations and international financial institutions for the purpose of obtaining financial and technical support can further support this industry. Biomass production and usage training sessions for technicians, farmers, and other business people can help in maintaining a healthy supply chain. Coordinated efforts across these many inputs are crucial to the success of India’s biomass sector. India can fully utilise biomass energy to promote energy security, rural development, and environmental sustainability by attending to technical, financial, infrastructure, human resource, and environmental concerns.

What are the growth strategies and plans of BiofuelCircle for FY 24-25?

The BiofuelCircle is working on an entrepreneurial approach to help FPOs and farmers increase their bioenergy capacity. They are receiving advice from MNRE, GIZ, and BAIF. Through its internet platform, BiofuelCircle has offered a new idea for a rural business: a Biomass Bank. This bank would help with collecting, aggregating, transporting, and processing biomass for green energy. Buyers and sellers of biomass and biofuels can use BiofuelCircle’s digital platform to find commodity- and region-specific prices, as well as to trade online at market-driven prices. A more transparent and predictable pricing structure encourages investments in storage and opens up financing opportunities in the bio-energy sector. Such linked regional marketplaces are the basis of the BiofuelCircle concept.

                                                                                           By Nitin Konde

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Agrotech, Biofuel industry, India, Opinions, Sugar industry

By Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle

The government of India has announced to reach net zero emissions by 2070 and to meet 50 per cent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030. This is hugely significant for the global fight against climate change.  Such targets can be met through increasing domestic production, adopting biofuels and renewables, applying energy efficiency norms, developing refinery processes, and achieving demand substitution. India has abundant indigenous, non-polluting, and virtually inexhaustible renewable energy resources, which makes biofuel a viable option.  This environmentally friendly alternative also brings with it several possibilities to enable a positive transformation.

Why Biomass as Biofuel 

India ranks in the top 3 countries by crop production. Agri-waste biomass holds the highest potential for small scale business development and mass employment in India. Characterised by low-cost technologies and freely available raw materials, biomass as biofuel has the potential to be one of the leading sources of primary energy. Aided by proven end-use technologies, biomass is not only environmentally efficient but also an economically sound option. Unfortunately, with millions of farmers in the workforce, farm waste is not considered as an avenue for extra income in India. Inefficiencies in the ecosystem such as a lack of delivery linkages, unorganised supply chain, no direct connection of the industry with the source, low benefit to the farmer, and lack of transparent pricing, among others, also exacerbate matters. 

India imports nearly 85 per cent of crude oil, which incurs high import costs. On top of it, the air quality in urban India is deteriorating due to the growing vehicular traffic and emissions. This is where biofuel production can make a significant difference as it can seamlessly replace fossil fuels and help reduce the carbon footprint. Biofuels can pave the path to energy self-sufficiency and create a robust rural economy, thus aiding in overall economic development.

Factors enabling a biomass ecosystem 

Although there lies a huge opportunity in harnessing the rural markets of biomass, there also is a distinct lack of cohesion and connectivity between the farmers and the industry.

Rural Storages

The seasonal availability coupled with round the year industrial demand, calls mechanisation and storage-related facilities in biomass catchment areas. The current shortage of mechanisation and unavailability of small storage facilities is clearly one of the constraints as far as the supply chain is concerned. Encouraging farmers/ farmer collectives and rural businesses to create small rural storages will help harness biomass and help generate higher value for rural participants. 

Small Rural Businesses

Biomass is very low in density. Thus, despite its proven technical value as an energy source, the cost of logistics can make use of biomass uneconomical. Small briquette/ pellet manufacturing units located within 20 km distance from source will not only help solve the challenge of logistics, but also create stronger rural enterprise and economic value.

Small Business Finance

The challenge of storage and logistics will always call for decentralised small businesses as primary constituents of the biomass supply chain. Small storages, small processors, small aggregators; all based in rural areas will facilitate India’s drive to use more than 200 million metric tonnes (MT) of annual Agri-waste. A few thousand such businesses dotting the rural landscape will call for efficient small business finance for this sector. How do we elevate the biomass supply chain to the level of acceptance of say an automotive supply chain? Tier 3 and tier 4 suppliers of automakers benefit from their association with large Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Capital as well as working capital is available at competitive rates for these suppliers. How do we create a similar supply chain for biomass? Will it be possible for a small rural business to get competitive interest finance because it is a tier 3 supplier to a large credit rated company?  

Supply Quality

A key thing to recognise about biomass is that we are dealing with a natural product. Thus, its quality may vary based on crop type, soil type, weather condition and a host of other factors. Industrial end use though calls for assured uniform quality. Defining quality standards, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for quality assurance and creating knowledge and skills to deliver uniform quality, will help these rural businesses scale up. Several sectors including the tea industry have achieved standardisation, grading and price discovery methods that have made it a global industry. There is an urgent need to create a quality ecosystem for similar action in the biomass space. 

Data Base

From the perspective of a bioenergy company, investing in technology is contingent on the dependability and predictability of stakeholders. For instance, if one must set up a bioenergy company, they must ensure that there is a steady supply of biomass for at least 300 days in a year. Therefore, having the information about demand, supply, storages, pricing etc. needs to become omnipresent. Availability of accurate and reliable information allows businesses to work on long term plans. Investment in the sector will grow when the supply chain becomes visible and transparent. Planning, forecasting, and investing in the sector will be aided if we are able to give a national character to the biomass supply chain through such databases. 

The fledgling bioenergy technology sector will also benefit from this as lenders and investors will have a reliable basis for decision making. 

Rural-Industrial Culture

Industries in India have mostly tended to be attached to urban centres. Thus, the entire organisation and cultural ecosystem that drives predictable and reliable operation from small rural businesses, will need human capital development. Trust between industrial buyers and rural sellers will be the direct outcome of these efforts.

Role of Digital Technology

A few million farmers, seasonal supplies, small rural businesses, round the year industrial demand and service providers for transport, quality, finance etc. makes for an interesting use case for digitalisation. To top it, traceability of biomass from its origin to its end use will create a reliable framework for carbon neutrality. Along the way, one also needs to address issues associated with incentivisation, price discovery, standardisation, and supply reliability. 

While applications such as food delivery, transport services etc. which have a consumer end use have become popular, for biomass we need a platform that makes it easy for millions of farmers to participate, while providing a robust framework for industries too. 

The biomass supply chain is still at a very early stage. We currently use about 20 per cent of the available Agri-residue biomass. At its maturity, the biomass product supply chain has a potential to be > $40 billion in annual turnover. The opportunity is for us to put a strong digital technology framework that creates ease, efficiency, reliability, and choice. 

Looking Ahead

India has vast potential in terms of the 235 million tonnes of Agri-waste that is generated every year. We need to look at this as an all-new industry that will support a few million farmers, thousands of small rural businesses, and help India replace upwards of 17 per cent of its fossil fuel through biomass. At some level, this means increasing the rural household income while we become carbon neutral.

By Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircleThe