The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed an event to mark World Biofuel Day in New Delhi. He addressed a diverse gathering, consisting of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, students, government officials, and legislators.

He said biofuels can provide fresh momentum to India in the 21^st century. He added that it is fuel produced from crops, which can change lives of people in both villages and cities.

He said that the plan to produce ethanol from biofuel was initiated when Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. After 2014, a roadmap was prepared for the Ethanol Blending Programme. He said that besides providing benefit to farmers, this move helped save foreign exchange worth Rs. 4000 crore last year, and the target is to take this number to about Rs. 12,000 crore over the next four years.

The Prime Minister said that the Union Government is investing significantly in the effort to transform biomass to biofuel. There is a plan to set up 12 modern refineries. A large number of employment opportunities will be created in the process.

The Prime Minister said that schemes such as Jandhan, Vandhan and Gobardhan are helping to transform the lives of the poor, the tribal population, and the farmers. He said that the transformative potential of biofuels can be realized only through the participation of students, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs and the people. He urged everyone present to help take the benefits of biofuel to the rural areas.

The Prime Minister also released a booklet on “National Policy on Biofuels 2018.” He also launched the “Proactive and Responsive Facilitation, by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single-window Hub” (PARIVESH).