Government keen on diversifying agri-produce towards energy sector: Union Minister

Road Transport Ministry has advised automobile manufacturers to produce flexi engine vehicles that can run on both petrol and ethanol

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the Ministry has issued an advisory to automobile manufacturers to produce vehicles with flexi engines that can use petrol as well as ethanol. It was necessary to diversify agriculture towards energy and power sector, and make India an ethanol economy, the Minister said.

India, Mr. Gadkari told members of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Mangaluru, has huge potential for agri-produce. “Once facing shortage of foodgrains, the country now has surplus. We are unable to find space to store foodgrains,” the Minister said during an interaction with KCCI office-bearers, including president Shashidhar Pai Maroor and others, on February 28.

A few automobile manufacturers, including Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota Kirloskar, are already working on the Ministry’s advisory and flexi engine vehicles may be on the roads within six months. At present, about 400 crore litres of ethanol is being produced each year for a 10% combination with petrol. When flexi engine vehicles begin coming out of factories, the country might need 2,000 crore litres of ethanol a year.

Mr. Gadkari said with the government clearing ethanol policy and opening up the sector to private players, there was space for over 300 companies to produce ethanol when flexi engine vehicles would be on the road in a couple of years. “We have rice surplus, corn surplus and sugarcane surplus, and spend huge monies on providing minimum support price. If surplus agri-produce is used to produce ethanol, farmers too would get good returns besides the country saving on import bills,” the Minister said.

Mr. Gadkari said he is aware of the connectivity issues the Karnataka coast is facing in the form of Shiradi Ghat on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway 75. Because of this, entrepreneurs were depending on ports on the east coast instead of transacting through the New Mangalore Port Trust.

There is no dearth for funds, Mr. Gadkari said urging the Karnataka Government to provide land and forest clearance for executing the tunnel bypass project on Shiradi Ghat. “The moment I get land and forest clearance, I will call tenders for the project execution,” he said.

Mr. Gadkari also suggested to entrepreneurs on the coast to design a course for entrepreneurship in educational institutions and leave issues of connectivity to be addressed by him. There are many institutes offering medical, engineering and management courses in Mangaluru, but none on entrepreneurship. “A course on entrepreneurship would support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative,” he said.