In a significant step toward sustainable infrastructure, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Wednesday handed over production licences for bio-bitumen to multiple Indian manufacturers. Bio-bitumen, a petroleum-free alternative to conventional bitumen, promises to reduce carbon emissions and decrease India’s dependence on imported crude oil, officials said.

Developed jointly by the CSIR and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, bio-bitumen is produced from agricultural residues such as paddy straw. The material can be blended with conventional bitumen used in road construction, enabling its adoption in national highway projects while promoting the efficient use of agro-waste.

Multiple Licences to Accelerate Production

Officials explained that providing licences to several industry partners would accelerate production, scale up availability, and promote widespread adoption of bio-bitumen across the country’s road networks. The move also aligns with India’s broader strategy to encourage home-grown, environmentally sustainable construction technologies.

Speaking at the event in New Delhi, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the economic and environmental advantages of bio-bitumen. “By utilising agro-waste, bio-bitumen will help reduce pollution caused by crop burning and strengthen the circular economy. With just 15% blending, India can save nearly ₹4,500 crore in foreign exchange and substantially cut its dependence on imported crude oil,” he said.

Gadkari emphasised that the innovation not only addresses environmental concerns but also enhances India’s self-reliance in road-building materials, reinforcing the country’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure development.

Encouraging Laboratory and Field Results

CSIR scientists said that laboratory tests and pilot studies had produced encouraging results. When blended with conventional bitumen, bio-bitumen performed well under standard durability and load-bearing tests, demonstrating its suitability for long-lasting road construction.

Officials noted that bio-bitumen meets all key performance requirements set by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), ensuring it can be adopted safely in highways and other critical infrastructure projects.

India has already experimented with eco-friendly road-building materials. For nearly two decades, shredded plastic has been incorporated into bituminous roads, following recommendations from the IRC and MoRTH. The introduction of bio-bitumen adds a new, sustainable dimension to these ongoing efforts, offering a lower-carbon alternative that simultaneously addresses the problem of crop residue burning.

Environmental and Economic Benefits

Bio-bitumen, derived from agro-waste, provides a solution to multiple challenges: it reduces the burning of crop residues—a major contributor to air pollution in India—offers a renewable source of raw material for road construction, and decreases reliance on imported petroleum products. By blending just 15% bio-bitumen with conventional bitumen, India can achieve significant foreign exchange savings while promoting circular economy principles.

Officials highlighted that the adoption of bio-bitumen is also in line with India’s green infrastructure initiatives, which seek to integrate low-carbon materials, renewable resources, and environmentally responsible practices into national development projects.

Future Outlook

With licences now granted to several Indian manufacturers, production of bio-bitumen is expected to ramp up over the coming months. Officials said they anticipate that the material will soon be deployed in large-scale road-building projects, including national highways, state roads, and other government infrastructure initiatives.

The CSIR stressed that broader adoption of bio-bitumen will not only contribute to India’s environmental goals but also provide economic opportunities for domestic industries, farmers supplying crop residues, and the construction sector. The initiative represents a fusion of innovation, sustainability, and practical application—offering a model for other green technologies in infrastructure.

In conclusion, the launch of bio-bitumen licences marks a milestone in India’s pursuit of greener, home-grown alternatives for infrastructure, combining economic prudence, environmental responsibility, and technological advancement. With multiple manufacturers now authorised to produce the material, bio-bitumen is poised to become a key component of India’s road construction strategy in the coming years.