India is set to meet its 20% biofuel blending target next month, ahead of the revised 2025 goal, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, announced. Initially set for 2030, the target was brought forward to 2025, and now the country will achieve this milestone even earlier, according to Puri at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) 3rd International Symposium for Eco-Energy in Mobility.
Puri highlighted India’s current daily consumption of 5.4 million barrels of crude oil and emphasized the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. He noted that as India moves toward becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy, energy demand will increase, making it crucial to diversify sources.
The biofuel-blending initiative has already benefited millions, with 67 million people using biofuel-blended fuel daily at petrol pumps. Puri shared that the ethanol program has saved approximately $14.5 billion in foreign exchange and reduced CO2 emissions by 57.8 million metric tons over the past decade.
India’s energy transition plan includes a mix of compressed biogas, natural gas, CNG, and electric vehicles. Puri also welcomed the U.S. lifting oil drilling bans, which he believes will increase energy imports from the region, further strengthening India’s energy strategy. The automobile industry has played a significant role, creating 45 million jobs and transforming mobility and connectivity across the nation.
