Biofuels are a pathway to rural prosperity: Sanjeev Chopra, Secy, DFPD

Time of India

11 hours ago

Biofuels
are emerging as more than just a decarbonisation tool for the transport sector. They are also a pathway to
rural prosperity
,
agricultural value creation
and greater
energy security
, according to
Sanjeev Chopra
, Secretary,
Department of Food and Public Distribution
.
The Indian government can take cues from global experience. Brazil's long-standing ethanol programme, which blends sugarcane-based ethanol in petrol at levels of up to 27 per cent, has reduced oil imports, strengthened rural incomes and created a thriving bioenergy industry. The United States has used corn-based ethanol, blending around 10 per cent in most petrol sold nationally, to support its farm sector while lowering transport emissions. Indonesia has taken a biodiesel route, mandating a B35 blend that uses palm oil to replace petroleum diesel, cutting imports and supporting palm oil growers, with higher blends under consideration.
'Together, we can turn surplus production into sustainable energy, rural growth into national resilience, and agricultural value into enduring prosperity,' Chopra said at the SIAM conference on biofuels. He stressed that ethanol and electric mobility should not be viewed as competing technologies but as complementary routes to achieving environmental and economic goals.
'It is not about either-or. These technologies can grow in a complementary manner, ensuring that consumer needs, producer capabilities and environmental goals are all met,' he said.
Diversifying the feedstock base
Chopra outlined government initiatives to ensure sustainable and diversified ethanol feedstocks. From October 2025, a pilot will reduce the permissible broken rice percentage in government procurement, freeing up 50 lakh tonnes of fortified rice in five states for
ethanol production
without affecting food security.
'The idea is to ensure that surplus rice, which is already fortified and stored in the system, can directly support our fuel blending needs without affecting food security,' he noted.
Maize production has also been rising sharply, from 340 lakh tonnes to an expected 425 lakh tonnes in two years, with a focus on high-yield varieties and improved post-harvest management. Trials with sweet sorghum at the National Sugar Institute in Kanpur have shown it can be processed in existing sugar mills without major equipment changes, potentially supplying up to 10 per cent of India's ethanol requirement if grown alongside sugarcane.
Strengthening rural economies and energy security
Chopra linked the biofuel drive to broader rural and economic benefits. By creating additional markets for crops such as sugarcane, rice, maize and sorghum, ethanol production can help stabilise farm incomes, reduce surplus stockpiles and cut India's dependence on imported oil.
He also underlined that this approach could protect the country from global supply chain vulnerabilities in critical materials like lithium and semiconductors, which affect electric vehicle production. 'A diverse energy strategy makes us more resilient, both economically and environmentally,' he said.