The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) held its 3rd International Conference on World Biofuel Day 2024 in New Delhi on August 10. The event brought together global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore the role of biofuels in India's transition to sustainable energy and its impact on the automotive sector.
Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM, emphasised key aspects of India's biofuel journey, including collaboration, communication, and competency, highlighting the country's progress in embracing the E20 economy.
H.E. Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil, attended as the Chief Guest. He pointed out the alignment between Brazil's ethanol expertise and India's decarbonization efforts, noting that collaboration between the two nations sets a global example in the energy transition.
Rohit Mathur, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, credited the collective efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for the advancements in the biofuel sector. He called for further investment in advanced biofuels and stressed the need for public awareness on flex-fuel and ethanol percentages.
K.C. Sharma, Chief Engineer at the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, reiterated India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, noting the significant increase in ethanol blending from 1.4% in 2013-14 to nearly 20% today. He mentioned that new bio-ethanol solutions are currently being tested on Indian roads.
Vikram S. Kasbekar, Executive Director of Hero MotoCorp Ltd. and SIAM Executive Committee Member, discussed the industry's readiness to roll out flex-fuel vehicles, emphasising the need to ensure customer benefits in adopting ethanol.
Dr. Reji Mathai, Director of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), highlighted India's achievement in meeting E20 compliance with BS VI standards. Sujoy Choudhury, Director at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., spoke on the infrastructural enhancements required to support biofuel growth, including increased tankage and the use of various transport modes for ethanol distribution.
Mandava Prabhakar Rao, President of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), discussed the efficiency of the sugarcane industry in ethanol production, suggesting that a modest increase in conversion could significantly meet India's ethanol demand.
Rajesh Menon, Director General of SIAM, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts for future advancements in the biofuel sector.
Dr. Prabhakar Thakur and Dr. S. D. Singh called for stronger collaboration and innovation among industry stakeholders to support India's biofuel goals.
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