Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the Ministry has issued an advisory to automobile manufacturers to produce vehicles with flexi engines that can use petrol as well as ethanol. It was necessary to diversify agriculture towards energy and power sector, and make India an ethanol economy, the Minister said.
India, Mr. Gadkari told members of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Mangaluru, has huge potential for agri-produce. “Once facing shortage of foodgrains, the country now has surplus. We are unable to find space to store foodgrains,” the Minister said during an interaction with KCCI office-bearers, including president Shashidhar Pai Maroor and others, on February 28.
A few automobile manufacturers, including Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota Kirloskar, are already working on the Ministry’s advisory and flexi engine vehicles may be on the roads within six months. At present, about 400 crore litres of ethanol is being produced each year for a 10% combination with petrol. When flexi engine vehicles begin coming out of factories, the country might need 2,000 crore litres of ethanol a year.
