Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said energy security is central to building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ during the Fuel and Future Summit 2026.
This push for energy independence aims to insulate the Indian economy from global price volatility while addressing environmental degradation. By shifting away from imported fossil fuels, the government seeks to stabilize the national budget and modernize the transport sector.
Addressing the summit via a recorded message to NDTV AutoMate on Thursday, Gadkari said the financial burden of current energy dependencies is high. He said India spends nearly ₹22 lakh crore on energy imports [1]. This expenditure represents a significant drain on resources that could otherwise be used for domestic development.
To combat this, Gadkari said the acceleration of alternative fuel adoption is necessary. He specifically pointed to electric vehicles, hydrogen, biofuels, and methanol as the primary tools to reduce the nation's reliance on external oil and gas sources. He said the move is necessary to reduce air pollution and cut dependence on fossil fuel imports [2].
Beyond the economic and environmental benefits, the minister said the social impact of this transition is important. He said that the shift toward biofuels and indigenous technology would create jobs in rural areas, providing new income streams for farmers and laborers.
Gadkari said that energy security will be central to building an Atmanirbhar Bharat [1]. He said the transition is not merely a technical upgrade, but a strategic necessity to ensure the country's long-term sovereignty and technological growth [3].
“Energy security will be central to building an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The emphasis on a multi-fuel strategy—combining hydrogen, methanol, and biofuels—suggests that India is avoiding a single-technology bet on electric vehicles. By leveraging rural agricultural output for biofuels, the government is attempting to align its climate goals with economic stability for the agrarian sector, effectively turning energy imports into domestic industrial opportunities.
