New Delhi, Jan 7 India’s highways are now transitioning from fossil-fuel dependency to bio-driven, regenerative, and circular economy solutions and the roads constructed using this technology will involve lesser budget, have a more sustainable lifespan, and will also be free from the hazard of causing environmental pollution, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Wednesday.
Addressing the CSIR’s ‘Technology Transfer’ ceremony here, the minister said that this day would be remembered as a historic milestone.
He described the initiative as a ‘Whole-of-Science, Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society’ effort, which together represents the ‘Whole-of-Nation’ approach envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
The minister underlined that technologies such as bio-bitumen demonstrate how scientific research can directly serve national missions including cleanliness, Atmanirbhar Bharat and economic self-reliance.
Stressing the importance of communication and outreach, he said innovation must be articulated in a manner that enables wider stakeholder understanding and adoption.
Dr Singh further highlighted that while each of CSIR’s 37 laboratories has strong success stories, the last decade has focused on opening science to citizens, industry, and states alike.
Referring to the waste-to-wealth approach, he noted that bio-bitumen addresses multiple challenges simultaneously, from stubble management and environmental protection to reduction in imports.
He observed that India currently imports nearly 50 per cent of its bitumen requirement, and innovations like bio-bitumen would significantly reduce foreign dependence while strengthening domestic capabilities.
The event showcased the industrial-scale technology transfer of Bio-Bitumen produced via pyrolysis of farm residue. The process involves collection of post-harvest rice straw, palletisation, pyrolysis to produce bio-oil, and subsequent blending with conventional bitumen.
Extensive laboratory validation has demonstrated that 20–30 per cent of conventional bitumen can be safely replaced without compromising performance.
While congratulating the CSIR team, the minister described the bio-bitumen innovation as a globally significant breakthrough. He highlighted the economic potential of replacing imported bitumen worth Rs 25,000–Rs 30,000 crore annually and called for region-specific, resource-based research.
N Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR noted that India has become the first country in the world to take bio-bitumen technology to industrial and commercial scale within the same year.
She explained that pyrolysis of biomass yields multiple value streams, bio-binder for roads, energy-efficient gaseous fuel, bio-pesticide fractions, and high-grade carbon suitable for batteries, water purification, and advanced materials, making the process emission-free, cost-effective, and future-ready. She also proposed policy-level blending of bio-bitumen to enable pan-India deployment.
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