New Delhi: Bihar is on its way to becoming an ethanol hub, state industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said Thursday, adding that the state is expecting an investment worth Rs 30,382 crore in the sector.
Ethanol, a renewable fuel, is used in the manufacture of a wide range of drugs, plastics, and cosmetics. When mixed with gasoline, it can also be used to power fuel cells and produce biodiesel.
Bihar is home to a large number of molasses, maze, and sugarcane crops that can be used to produce grain-based ethanol, which is seen as environmentally friendly and sustainable.
As many as 17 production units are being set up across the state under the Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021, Hussain said, explaining the first phase of the roadmap to establish Bihar as an ethanol hub. He added that the state had received investment proposals to the tune of Rs 36,253 to set up 555 industrial units just over the past year.
The Bihar government’s ethanol policy is aimed at encouraging sustainable and alternative fuels, thereby cutting India’s dependence on imports of fossil fuel oils. In addition, ethanol manufacturing units can offer a “sustainable source of income for farmers, entrepreneurs and workers”, according to the government.
Speaking to journalists at Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi,Hussain — a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in the state’s coalition government and a former Union minister in the Vajpayee cabinet — said the state government is in the process of drafting the Bihar Logistics Policy and Bihar Export Policy 2022, in order to guide textile and leather businesses.
Hussain praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying he had worked to make Bihar a favourable state for doing business by facilitating speedy clearances and land allotment. He also said that Bollywood had “hurt” the image of Bihar.
“Bollywood has also hurt the image of Bihar; films like Gangaajal and Apaharan stereotyped Biharis. Now, that image is changing. With the motto of ‘Bihari Mange More’ (Biharis want more), the state is progressing in all aspects under the leadership of Nitish Kumar,” he said.
Last week, Nitish Kumar inaugurated the state’s first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant in Purnea. On 15 April, a Pepsi bottling plant, too, was inaugurated in Barauni in Begusarai district.
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Bihar Investors’ Summit
Hussain also announced Thursday that the next Bihar Investors’ Summit would be held in the national capital on 12 May.
“To position Bihar as the go-to-destination, the department of industries has already initiated proactive and forward-looking policy reforms. Industrial reforms aimed at allowing business to flourish without wasting precious time on excessive compliances is another focus area of the government. Thus, a series of measures have been taken up to make ‘doing business’ easier in the state through simplification of the existing rules and statutory provisions,” read a government note on the summit.
According to the Bihar government, proposals to set up 555 industrial units in the state have already received Stage-1 clearance, while financial clearances have been granted to proposals worth Rs 1,489 crore.
The upcoming aummit will be inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and will see participation from companies such as Ashok Leyland, Hindustan Unilever, Patanjali, and JSW, among others.
Representatives of various associations, including the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the All India Association of Industries (AIAI), the Council of Leather Exports, and the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, are also expected to attend the summit.
Hussain said Thursday that in the future, Bihar Investors’ Summits might be held in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and if needed, overseas.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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