Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that it was time for the country to diversify the agriculture sector towards energy and power sectors as without making agriculture economically viable we cannot make Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Addressing the International Summit and Expo on Bioenergy and value chain, he said, “In our GDP growth, the agriculture sector contributes 14 per cent, the manufacturing sector contributes 22 per cent and service sector contributes 52 to 54 per cent. The problem is that the population that belongs to agriculture is 60 per cent. We need to increase the employment potential in the sector.”
He further said, “The agriculture sector is not economically viable and this is the time we need to find the solution to make our agriculture economically viable as without agriculture, the country cannot be Atmanirbhar. At present the problem is we have a surplus of food grains. We don’t have enough storage capacity for the surplus foodgrains and it is time we diversify it towards the energy and power sector.”
The minister also emphasized on reducing the import of fossil fuel which is creating pollution in the country. He said on the line of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, “we need to cut down the import and increase the export to make the country a five trillion economy,” he added.
The summit organized by Indian Biogas Association also launched a white paper in presence of the minister. The white paper advocates for the unification of existing government initiatives SATAT, GOBARDhan, and CBG blending under a single national mission.
It emphasized the need for centralized tracking, standardized performance benchmarking, and integrated funding mechanisms to drive rapid and large-scale deployment of biogas solutions across the country.
According to the white paper that was launched during 2-day summit in New Delhi, there were key recommendations including Mandate Phase-Wise CBG Blending Across Sectors, formulating a Green Certificate ecosystem, fast-tracking Decentralized Biogas Infrastructure, incentivizing Waste Segregation and feedstock supply chains, Strengthening Rural Energy Access with Clean Cooking Fuel, bridging the Skill Gap through dedicated workforce programmes and empowering women through Biogas Micro-Enterprises.
It also highlighted the critical need for robust skill development, technological innovation, and financial incentives to support the growth of the biogas sector.
Gaurav Kedia, Chairman, Indian Biogas Association said, “Approximately 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste lacks proper scientific treatment and goes underutilized annually, while over 80 per cent of rural households still depend on biomass fuels. Meanwhile, India imports over 85 per cent of its crude oil, exposing the economy to global price volatility and straining foreign reserves. Unifying all three missions under one will bring in synergies and better management and utilization of existing resources.”
