New Delhi, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said biofuels will play a pivotal role in India’s transition towards clean energy and greater energy self-reliance, highlighting the government’s focus on expanding domestic energy production through initiatives such as the Biofuel Mission, Green Hydrogen Mission and Samudra Manthan.
The minister said these flagship programmes are laying the foundation for a sustainable energy ecosystem while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening the country’s long-term energy security.
Puri said biofuels have emerged as a key pillar of India’s energy strategy by creating new income opportunities for farmers, lowering crude oil imports and contributing to environmental conservation. He expressed confidence that continued investments in domestic energy production, technological innovation and the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat would further strengthen India’s position as a global energy leader over the next five years.
He said India is moving rapidly towards energy transition under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a clear focus on sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Official figures show that the ethanol blending programme has delivered significant economic and environmental benefits. From 2014-15 to May 2026, ethanol blending with petrol helped save more than ₹1.90 lakh crore in foreign exchange by replacing 310 lakh metric tonnes of imported crude oil. The programme also generated additional earnings of over ₹1.6 lakh crore for farmers and reduced carbon emissions by more than 930 lakh metric tonnes.
India currently imports nearly 88.5 per cent of its crude oil requirement, making ethanol blending an important policy measure to reduce vulnerability to global price fluctuations and supply disruptions by promoting fuel produced from domestically grown sugarcane, maize and rice.
Meanwhile, the government informed Parliament that India’s installed renewable energy capacity has nearly quadrupled from 76.38 GW in 2014 to 288.58 GW as of June 30, 2026. Solar energy leads the sector with an installed capacity of 162.15 GW, followed by wind power at 57.44 GW, hydropower at 57.24 GW and bio power at 11.75 GW.
The total installed non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity in the country now stands at 297.36 GW, including 8.78 GW from nuclear power.
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