11/05/2026
At the Day 1 session of the CII Business Summit 2026 on “New Energy Partnerships for India in a Volatile World”, Tarun Sawhney, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., and Chairman, CII Committee on Bioenergy; shared valuable insights on the growing role of bioenergy in strengthening India’s energy security and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Speaking on India’s remarkable progress in ethanol blending, he highlighted how the nation achieved the ambitious 20% ethanol blending target well ahead of schedule through strong policy direction and industry collaboration. He also emphasized India’s potential to emerge as a global leader not only in first-generation biofuels but also in second and third-generation biofuels.
Key highlights from his address included:
- The need to accelerate adoption of higher ethanol blends and flex-fuel vehicles such as E85.
- The importance of global partnerships, particularly with countries like Brazil and the United States, to strengthen biofuel ecosystems.
- India’s opportunity to lead in advanced technologies such as Alcohol-to-Jet (A2J) fuel solutions.
- The immense potential of Compressed Biogas (CBG), which could evolve into a ₹1–2 lakh crore opportunity by the end of this decade.
- The importance of creating economically sustainable models and policy support to accelerate investments in the bioenergy sector.
The session also featured distinguished industry and policy leaders, including Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance; and Rupal Gupta, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Oriana Power, who shared their perspectives on accelerating India’s clean energy transition and strengthening global energy partnerships.
The session was moderated by Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chairman & CEO, ReNew.
As India advances towards a cleaner and more self-reliant energy future, collaborative innovation and scalable bioenergy solutions will play a defining role in shaping sustainable growth.