| New Delhi – All solid waste will be utilized for road construction by the end of 2027, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said while addressing the 120th Annual Session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Thursday. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that all solid waste will be utilized for road construction by the end of 2027, with 80 lakh tons already segregated. He also projected India’s automobile industry to become the world’s largest within five years, driven by alternative fuels and EVs. Ethanol production from corn has already boosted farmer income by Rs 45,000 crore. He said, “No material is waste and no person is waste. Depending on the appropriate technology and leadership vision, you can convert waste into wealth. We have decided that before 2027 ends, whatever garbage is there, which is solid waste, we are going to use it in road construction.” Hailing the biofuels and ethanol-based fuel initiatives, Gadkari said that the size of the Indian automobile industry will be the highest in the world in the next five years. Currently, the Indian industry stands third behind the US and China with a size of Rs 22 lakh crore (Rs 2.2 billion). Echoing the Centre’s call for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Gadkari said, “I called the automobile industry people and said that if you want to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India), you have to be the first in the world. The USA is the first in the world, and its automobile industry is Rs 78 lakh crore (Rs 7.8 billion). China is the second-largest in the world, and its automobile industry is Rs 49 lakh crore (Rs 4.9 billion). The way we are bringing in new research and innovations, I am confident that our automobile industry will be the first in the world in five years.” He claimed that the move to make ethanol from corn has generated an additional income of Rs 45,000 crore for farmers. |