“India has been at the forefront of an agricultural revolution. If you look at many of the products like dairy products, rice, India has been either number one or two at a global level. So apart from feeding 140 crore people, India is also a dominant agricultural exporter. This reflects the prowess of Indian farmers and Indian agricultural scientists in managing our ecosystem in a way where we are maximising the output from our country,” he said.
The Secretary lauded India’s blessed resources in terms of arable land and size where agroclimatic conditions in different parts of the country provide a very conducive climate for products like dragon fruit, rice, different varieties of wheat, etc.
However, this comes with a lot of agri-waste, which needs to be tended through a circular economy. There is a need to make the most of the waste, such as transforming it into green hydrogen and ethanol. He added that the government has come up with various schemes and mechanisms for the same.
“MNRE came up with the National Bioenergy Programme in November 2022 to promote waste-to-energy biomass and biogas projects. So, it had a total budget allocation of about Rs 1715 crore through which it took up a number of initiatives to promote the biomass ecosystem and the value addition ecosystem in our country. A lot of briquetting and filtration plans were introduced in Phase 1, for which Rs 858 crore was allocated. We are likely to get another Rs 857 crore for Phase II of the programme which we are expediting in consultation with the Department of Expenditure,” he said.He added that the government has come up with a biogas application portal for companies through which the applications can be filed in a transparent and streamlined manner and will be a one-stop solution for the applicants who are applying for different kinds of projects under MNRE.He also acknowledged that the waste-to-biomass sector is currently very nascent. “It is a relatively small industry compared to solar or wind. Therefore, there are many barriers, like evolution of the field stock logistics, financing gaps, irregular regulatory coordination, etc., which need to be addressed. Forums like this (BBA) will provide us with an opportunity to understand these kinds of gaps in a much better manner and address them through both government and industrial initiatives in this sector,” he said.
