Nature's Fuel

The union cabinet's approval to the National Policy on Biofuels earlier last month triggered both hope and hesitation. While the industry eagerly awaits the implementation of this policy, it is also cautious, considering our history with biofuels. What does this new policy mean for India and its economy, and have we learnt from the mistakes of our past?

Biofuels, unlike fossil fuels, are a much cleaner, greener and cheaper fuel produced using biomass or biowaste. In this day and age when air quality is highly questionable and global warming most definite, biofuels are our rescue wagon. While it burns similar to a fossil fuel, contextualising it with our current scenario a substantial switch from crude oil to biofuels will largely reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and control air