Nitin Gadkari stresses multi-fuel strategy at Green Transport Conclave
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the transport sector remains one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, necessitating urgent and coordinated efforts to transition towards sustainable mobility.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Green Transport Conclave: Accelerating Towards the Future of Sustainable and Green Mobility in the national Capital, Gadkari highlighted that India currently imports nearly 87 per cent of its energy requirements, underlining the urgent need to achieve energy self-reliance.
He emphasised that no single technology — electric vehicles, hydrogen, or flex-fuel — can independently meet India’s growing energy demand, advocating for a balanced, multi-fuel approach.
The conclave was organised by the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE), with the support of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. Manoj Kumar Singh, CEO, UP State Transformation Commission (STC), attended as the Guest of Honour in the inaugural session. Eminent speakers who addressed included top officers and other stakeholders from Road Transport, Aviation, Railways and Marine sectors.
The Pioneer, Aviation World, and Bharat Energy Compass were the media partners. IFGE is a leading industry body committed to promoting renewable energy and sustainable mobility through policy advocacy, industry collaboration, and knowledge exchange platforms.
Manoj Kumar Singh emphasised that India’s transport strategy is evolving beyond electrification towards a multi-fuel and multi-modal ecosystem. He highlighted the integration of EVs, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels, and green logistics, along with the need to align road transport with logistics corridors and clean energy infrastructure to create a resilient and future-ready mobility framework.
The conclave enabled extensive deliberations on critical areas, including enabling policy frameworks at both central and state levels for low-carbon transport; advancement of sustainable urban mobility through electric vehicles and biofuels; decarbonisation of long-haul, intercity, and rural transport across road, rail, and aviation sectors; promotion of efficient and sustainable freight movement via road, maritime, and rail networks; and the integration of advanced technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, system integration, and fuel dispensing infrastructure in the transport ecosystem.
A significant highlight of the inaugural session was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CSIR-Central Road Research Institute and the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE).
The eminent speakers addressed the conclave, including Sanjay Bandopadhyaya (IAS Retd), Chairman, Green Transport & Mobility Committee, IFGE, former Chairman Inland Waterway Authority of India; R Srinivas, Hony.
Secretary, IUT and Former Town & Country Planner, TCPO/MoHUA and Visiting Faculty, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; Mahmood Ahmad, Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India; Rajnath Ram, Advisor (Energy), NITI
Aayog; Joshua Wycliffe, Director — Advocacy & Communications, Global Biofuels Alliance; Ajay Jha, Director (Environment and Housekeeping Management), Railway Board, Ministry of Railways; Dr Virinder Sharma, Member (Technical), Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM); Vaibhav Dange, Founder Director, IFGE and Sanjay Ganjoo, Director General, IFGE amongst others.
