The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) successfully organised the 3rd International Conference on World Biofuel Day 2024 under its Bio-initiative. The conference underlines the need for ongoing collaboration, innovation, and commitment to driving India’s biofuel revolution forward.
The conference began with an inaugural session titled “Catalysing the Indian Biofuel Story for the Global Arena,” moderated by Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM. In his opening remarks, Banerjee highlighted the importance of collaboration, communication, and competency in India's biofuel journey. He pointed out that India has embraced the E20 economy, which has been bolstered by strong global partnerships.
The event was graced by Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil, who served as the Chief Guest. He emphasised the shared vision between Brazil and India for a sustainable future, noting how Brazil’s ethanol expertise complements India’s decarbonisation efforts. He highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the two nations in advancing biofuel use, aiming for 20-25% biofuel integration, and the significant role of investments and technology transfers in promoting sustainable mobility.
Rohit Mathur, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, lauded the collective efforts of various ministries under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He noted the progress made in biofuels, particularly in the ethanol programme, which benefits farmers and contributes to foreign exchange savings. Mathur called for increased investment in advanced biofuels and a mass awareness campaign to educate the public on flex-fuel and ethanol usage.
K C Sharma, Chief Engineer (MVL) at the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, emphasised India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, with biofuels playing a crucial role. He highlighted the significant increase in ethanol blending from 1.4% in 2013-14 to nearly 20% today, crediting the collaborative efforts of fuel providers, vehicle manufacturers, and component suppliers.
Vikram S. Kasbekar, Executive Director of Hero MotoCorp Ltd and SIAM Executive Committee Member, delivered a keynote address on mobility initiatives, stressing the need for the industry to be ready to roll out flex-fuel vehicles. He noted the importance of ensuring that customers see tangible benefits from adopting ethanol, given its lower energy content compared to petrol.
Dr Reji Mathai, Director of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), remarked on India’s milestone in achieving E20 compliance with BS VI standards, signalling a significant step forward in biofuel integration and emissions reduction. Sujoy Choudhury, Director at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, discussed the need for equitable and sustainable biofuel growth, noting that oil manufacturing companies have increased their tankage by ten-fold to support the biofuel journey.
Mandava Prabhakar Rao, President of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), highlighted sugarcane’s efficiency in water and land use. He noted that increasing the percentage of sugarcane converted to ethanol by just 10% could allow the industry to meet 55% of the country’s ethanol demand.
The conference also featured the release of the Context Paper on “Biofuels in India: Current Scenario and the Road Ahead.” Rajesh Menon, Director General of SIAM, closed the inaugural session by emphasising India’s achievements in the biofuel sector and the importance of continued collaboration for future advancements.
Thematic Session 1, “Biofuel Demand and Supply Management: Bridging the Gap,” was moderated by Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner at Nomura Research Institute. The session included the release of the report “Sukh Da Saah – SIAM Initiative on Crop Residue Management.” Key speakers included Alok Sharma, Director (R&D) of Indian Oil Corporation, Anurag Saraogi, Chief General Manager at Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Amit Agrawal, Senior Vice President of Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Ltd., who discussed advancements in biofuel R&D, operational strategies, and the sugar industry’s role in biofuel production.
Thematic Session 2, “Preparing the Auto Industry for a Flex Fuel Future,” moderated by Som Kapoor, Future of Mobility Leader at EY Parthenon, focused on the sector’s readiness for flexible fuel vehicles. Panellists including Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Executive Vice President at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and Shweta Saini, Founder & CEO of Arcus Policy Research, shared strategies for developing hybrid flex vehicles and discussed the regulatory landscape for ethanol production.
The final session, “Building a Resilient Ecosystem for the Adoption of Biofuels,” moderated by Raman Jha, Executive Director at PwC, addressed the critical steps needed to support biofuel ecosystem development in India. Speakers like Y. B. Ramakrishna, Member – Working Group on Biofuels at MoPNG, and Rafik Mankad, CMD at Biotexus Energy Pvt Ltd, discussed necessary policy frameworks and the role of the industry in adopting higher blends of biofuels.
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