No need to worry about methanol, biodiesel, or hydrogen: Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari alleviated the concerns of ethanol producers in the country, stating that they should not worry about competition from alternative biofuels such as methanol, biodiesel, and hydrogen.

“All these fuels have a place in the future energy landscape, and there is sufficient room for them to coexist and grow collectively,” Gadkari said. He emphasised the government’s commitment to developing a diversified biofuels sector, acknowledging the vast potential of various fuels to create a cleaner, more sustainable energy landscape.

“People often say you talk about EVs, ethanol, methanol, CNG, LNG, and hydrogen. What will be the fate of ethanol with the emergence of various green fuels? I believe that ethanol’s prospects will remain unaffected. Even if the production capacities of all these alternative green fuels are combined, India will still rely heavily on importing fossil fuels, leaving ample room for ethanol to continue growing. There is a lot of potential in this sector,” said Gadkari in Hindi while addressing the 4th Edition of the Sugar-Ethanol and Bio-Energy India Conference (SEIC) 2025.

“Ethanol has to play a big role in India’s transportation economy since we have a fossil fuel import of around Rs 22 lakh crore. Also, seeing the rise in air pollution, I don’t see we have to take a step backwards in terms of ethanol,” he added.

Significant research is currently underway in biofuels and alternative fuels. “In a notable shift, public perception of EVs has transformed from skepticism—where people would humorously ask about pushing stalled EVs—to overwhelming demand, with buyers now facing substantial waiting lists, he said.