India is accelerating its shift to alternative fuels, with biofuels such as ethanol, methanol and butanol expected to play a key role in energy security. According to Economic Times, Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Sood emphasized that India's shift towards alternative fuels, principally high-energy density biofuels, is unavoidable with work in advanced stages for sustainability and energy security. Sood noted that 'Ethanol is one hydrocarbon, but you can also get other biofuels which have higher energy density like butanol that can also be produced in a bio mode, so biofuels, in general, will be important for energy security'. The government is also promoting biogasification and rationalising biofuel pricing to drive wider adoption and sustainability.
India has already developed and transferred the technology for biodiesel and bio-jet fuel, with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR–IIP) in Dehradun developing homegrown technologies to produce biodiesel and bio-jet fuel from non-edible vegetable oils, waste oils, used cooking oil, and agricultural waste. As reported by Economic Times, the institute has developed and transferred nearly 50 technologies for commercial-scale production, aiming to reduce carbon emissions. The country is also advancing green hydrogen technologies, with Sood highlighting that 'The another big thing will be green hydrogen. It will be used for transportation. We already have India's first hydrogen-powered train'. On July 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged-off the country's first hydrogen-driven train, operating on the 89-kilometer Jind-Sonipat route.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh emphasized that India must focus its limited resources on technologies that address immediate and strategic energy requirements. Speaking at an event at IIT Bombay on Tuesday, Singh highlighted the need for India to become more efficient and innovative in addressing its energy requirements. According to reports from Business Standard, Singh pointed out that while India has a large and growing start-up ecosystem, the energy sector accounts for only a small proportion of this ecosystem, with oil and gas representing an even smaller share. The strategic focus on biofuels aligns with this approach, as these technologies offer higher energy density alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.
Singh highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve production efficiency, reduce wastage and make assets and processes more efficient. As reported by Business Standard, AI could be used for better subsurface understanding and improved identification of drilling locations, which can enhance the probability of success and enable more targeted exploration, including in deep-water areas. The ONGC chief emphasized that given the strategic importance of energy and the long development cycles involved, India needs a more focused approach to innovation and technology development. This technological advancement supports the broader biofuel strategy, as AI can optimize production processes for biofuel manufacturing and enhance the efficiency of renewable energy infrastructure.
Singh emphasized that India needs to strike a balance between pursuing futuristic technologies and addressing immediate national priorities. According to Business Standard, with resources being limited, he said the country needs to learn to 'prioritise our resources where we should spend'. The Principal Scientific Advisor's comments reinforce this approach, as he noted that 'India's shift towards alternative fuels is unavoidable' with work in advanced stages for sustainability and energy security. Both officials underscored the importance of indigenous innovation in areas such as bioenergy and other energy technologies, with Sood emphasizing that 'We already have India's first hydrogen-powered train' and 'The another big thing will be green hydrogen' for transportation applications.
