India needs to integrate existing govt initiatives related to biogas sector: IBA

New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) India needs to integrate existing government initiatives related to the biogas sector, Indian Biogas Association said on Thursday.

In a white paper launched by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Indian Biogas Association (IBA) advocated for the unification of existing government initiatives - Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT), GOBARDhan, and CBG (compressed biogas) blending - under a single national mission, according to a statement.

The IBA released the white paper during the 4th BBB Summit organised in the national capital on Thursday, the association said in the statement.

Further, the white paper suggested the need for centralised tracking, standardised performance benchmarking, and integrated funding mechanisms to drive rapid and large-scale deployment of biogas solutions in India.

The key recommendations included mandating phase-wise CBG blending across sectors, formulating a green certificate ecosystem, and fast-tracking decentralised biogas Infrastructure.

It also proposed the incorporation of incentivising waste segregation and feedstock supply chains, strengthening rural energy access with clean cooking fuel, bridging the skill gap through dedicated workforce programmes and empowering women through biogas micro-enterprises.

The integration of biogas into public transport systems and smart building infrastructure will boost the sector, it said.

Additionally, it called for promoting biogas as a primary cooking fuel in rural India by introducing targeted subsidies, encouraging the use of LPG-biogas hybrid stoves, and aligning efforts with the Ujjwala Yojana and City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks.

"Approximately 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste lack proper scientific treatment and go under-utilised annually, while over 80 per cent of rural households still depend on biomass fuels," IBA Chairman Gaurav Kedia said in the statement.

Meanwhile, he stated that India imports over 85 per cent of its crude oil, exposing the economy to global price volatility and straining foreign reserves.

IBA organised the summit in partnership with Reveille Energy and Indus Exposium.

"By harnessing the untapped power of decentralised biogas systems, India can redefine energy equity, empower rural and urban communities alike, and build a circular economy that is regenerative by design," Rohit Dev, Advisor at IBA and MD at Reveille Energy, said.

"This white paper presents a pragmatic, multi-stakeholder roadmap to unlock this potential. But policies alone are not enough, and what India needs now is conviction, coordination, and collective action," Dev added.

Founded in 2011 and revitalised in 2015, the IBA has been at the forefront of advancing bioenergy solutions across India.