India becomes first country to commercially produce bio-bitumen for road construction

New Delhi, Jan 7: India has achieved a global first in road construction technology by becoming the world’s first country to commercially produce bio-bitumen, marking a major milestone in sustainable infrastructure development.

Speaking at CSIR’s technology transfer ceremony titled “From Farm Residue to Road: Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis”, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the innovation demonstrates how agricultural waste can be transformed into a valuable national resource.

He described bio-bitumen as a key step towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Gadkari said the use of agro-waste for bio-bitumen would help curb pollution caused by crop residue burning while strengthening the circular economy. With a 15 per cent blending of bio-bitumen, India could save nearly Rs 4,500 crore in foreign exchange and significantly reduce dependence on imported crude oil, he added.