India’s Cabinet approves a comprehensive Rs 23,731 crore bioenergy initiative to boost biogas and compressed biogas production, integrating waste management with renewable energy and rural income growth.
India’s Cabinet has approved a unified circular bioenergy programme worth Rs 23,731 crore, a move the government says is designed to accelerate biogas and compressed biogas production over the next decade. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme will run from 2026-27 to 2035-36 and is intended to make compressed biogas a central part of the country’s future energy mix.
According to the government, the GOBARdhan initiative is meant to turn agricultural residue, cattle dung, press mud, municipal organic waste and other biomass into fuel, organic manure, rural income and broader economic value. The plan includes assured offtake, stable pricing, capital support, pipeline infrastructure, credit backing and technology development to help the sector grow at national scale.
The scheme builds on GOBARdhan’s earlier role under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin, where it has been used to convert biodegradable waste into biogas and bio-slurry while supporting village cleanliness and rural livelihoods. A government release said the programme, launched in 2018, had already led to 643 plants by July 2023.
Official data from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation showed further momentum by September 2023, with 1,163 biogas plants and 426 compressed biogas plants registered on the Unified Registration Portal. Those registered projects are eligible for market development assistance to help sell organic fertiliser, underscoring the government’s effort to tie waste management, cleaner energy and farm income into a single policy framework.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
