Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said using bio-fuels can reduce crude oil imports which will help save foreign exchange on one hand also achieve the USD 5-trillion GDP goal by 2025. Gadkari said his ministry has taken various steps to promote bio-fuels like ethanol and butanol which are not only feasible but also desirable for the nation as it will also help reduce the emissions.
“Every year we spend around Rs 7 lakh crore on oil imports. In this scenario if we have alternate bio-fuels like ethanol and butanol which can be used in cars and aircraft, why should we not explore those options. They are not just cheap but also pollution-free,” Gadkari said. He said the aviation sector imports Rs 40,000 crore worth of fuel and if they explore bio-fuels, it opens a Rs 40,000-crore market for domestic players.
