"Ambition, inclusivity and scale makes India an indispensable partner in Japan's decarbonisation journey"

In an exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, Vijay Nirani, Managing Director of TruAlt Bioenergy, framed the company's landmark partnership with Sumitomo as more than symbolism — a model for how India and Japan can jointly accelerate the global energy transition.

- Suchetana Choudhury

Nirani positioned biofuels as a frontline solution that will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with solar, wind, and hydrogen by 2030, anchoring India's energy sovereignty while uplifting rural economies. He emphasised that TruAlt's upcoming CBG plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra are backed by a proven feedstock ecosystem, avoiding the food-versus-fuel dilemma that plagued earlier biogas projects. Edited excerpts:

TruAlt Bioenergy has positioned itself at the forefront of India's biofuel push. In your view, does this agreement with Sumitomo mark a turning point for India's energy sovereignty—or is it still an incremental step in a long transition ?

The strategic partnership with Sumitomo Corporation represents a milestone in the India-Japan partnership, aligning India's pursuit of energy sovereignty and leadership in biofuels with Japan's advanced decarbonization technologies under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). It goes beyond symbolism, translating ambition into measurable climate action.

The JCM will be a cornerstone of this collaboration channeling Japanese low-carbon innovations into India's bioenergy sector, while ensuring transparent crediting of greenhouse gas reductions. By directly linking investment to verifiable climate outcomes, this model not only accelerates India's bioenergy transition and reinforces Japan's decarbonization contributions, but also strengthens both nations' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Where do biofuels realistically fit into the energy mix by 2030 and 2047 (India@100), compared to solar, wind, and hydrogen ?