Addressing the 120th annual session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Thursday, the Union Minister said 80 lakh tonnes of waste has already been segregated for road construction.
He said, “No material is waste and no person is waste. Based on appropriate technology and vision of leadership, you can convert waste into wealth. We have decided that before 2027 ends, whatever waste is there, which is solid waste, we are going to use it in road construction.”
Gadkari said, “There are four such mountains in Delhi, they do not look good. We have separated 80 lakh tonnes of garbage and used it in road construction.”
Lauding biofuels and ethanol-based fuel initiatives, Gadkari said the size of the Indian automobile industry will be the largest in the world in the next five years. Currently, the Indian industry stands third after the US and China with a size of Rs 22 lakh crore (Rs 2.2 billion).
He said, “The thinking is integrated, and it is important for all of us. In 2014, the automobile industry was the 7th largest in the world and had a total volume of Rs 14 lakh crore (Rs 1.4 billion). A few days ago, we overtook Japan, and now we are third in the world, and our automobile industry is worth Rs 22 lakh crore (Rs 2.2 billion). Now, the way we are using technology and new research for alternative replacement. Be it fuels, biofuels, electric vehicles, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, LNG, electric and hydrogen, we have almost all the world’s brands in our automobile hub India.” Reiterating the Centre’s call for a self-reliant India, Gadkari said, “I called people from the automobile industry and said that if you want to build a self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat), you have to be the first in the world. The United States ranks first in the world, and its automobile industry is worth Rs 78 lakh crore (Rs 7.8 billion). China is the second largest in the world, and its automobile industry is worth Rs 49 lakh.” crore (Rs 4.9 billion). The way we are bringing in new research and innovation, I am confident that our automobile industry will be number one in the world in the next five years.” He claimed that the move has resulted in an additional income of Rs 45,000 crore to farmers from ethanol derived from corn.
He said, “When we decided to make ethanol from corn, the market price of corn was Rs 1200 per quintal and the MSP was Rs 1800 per quintal. After the decision, the price of corn went up to Rs 2800 per quintal. An additional Rs 45,000 crore went into the pockets of farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.”
This comes amid his repeated calls for ethanol-based fuel as India meets its target of blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol.
Earlier in September, while addressing the Second International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy and Technologies here, the Union Minister had said that after meeting the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol, the time has come when India should be ready to export ethanol given its surplus production in the country.
He said, “This is the time for the future development of India. We need to reduce our imports and increase exports. As far as the surplus of ethanol is concerned, now it is the need of the country that we need to export ethanol.”
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