Guwahati: The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels -2018.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued the "National Policy on Biofuels - 2018" on June 4, 2018, superseding the National Policy on Biofuels published by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy in 2009.

Due to breakthroughs in the area of biofuels, different choices made in National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) meetings to boost biofuel production, recommendations of the Standing Committee, and the decision to move to introduce Ethanol Blended Petrol with up to 20% ethanol throughout the country from 01.04.2023, adjustments are made to the National Policy on Biofuels.

The following are the main amendments approved to the National Policy on Biofuels:

1. to allow more feedstocks for the production of biofuels,
2. to advance the ethanol blending target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol to ESY 2025-26 from 2030,
3. to promote the production of biofuels in the country, under the Make in India program, by units located in Special
4. Economic Zones (SEZ)/ Export Oriented Units (EoUs),
5. to add new members to the NBCC.
6. to grant permission for the export of biofuels in specific cases, and
7. to delete/amend certain phrases in the Policy in line with decisions taken during the meetings of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee.

This idea would also encourage and support the development of indigenous technology, paving the door for the Make in India campaign and generating more jobs.

The current National Policy on Biofuels was enacted in 2018. This amendment proposal would open the path for the Make in India campaign, resulting in lower imports of petroleum products through the production of more and more biofuels. Because many additional feedstocks are now permitted for biofuel production, this would boost Atmanirbhar Bharat and give momentum to Prime Minister Modi's objective of India being "energy independent" by 2047.