**Executive Summary**
The report discusses the indigenous development of bio-bitumen from agricultural residue, specifically rice straw, by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The technology has been transferred to 14 industries across India for commercial manufacturing. This initiative aims to reduce import dependency, lower carbon emissions, and promote rural/agricultural waste utilization. All information was released on February 4th, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Technology Development:**
* CSIR, through its laboratories (CSIR-CRRI, New Delhi, and CSIR-IIP, Dehradun), has developed technology to produce bio-bitumen from agricultural residue (rice straw) via pyrolysis.
* The process converts crop residue into bio-oil, which is then upgraded through chemical processing and blended/modified to produce a bio-binder.
* **Bio-Bitumen Potential:**
* Bio-bitumen can partially replace conventional petroleum-based bitumen (up to 30%) without compromising pavement performance.
* A conservative blending level of 15% could result in foreign exchange savings of approximately ₹4,000 crore per annum.
* **Technology Transfer:**
* The technology has been transferred to 14 industries across India on a non-exclusive basis for commercial manufacturing and scale-up on January 7th, 2026.
* Technology transfer includes provisions for transfer fees, royalties, technical specifications, intellectual property rights, and confidentiality. Annexure I contains the details of the 14 licensees.
* **Impact of Bio-Bitumen Adoption:**
* *Cost Reduction and Import Substitution:* Reduces the volume of imported bitumen, leading to foreign exchange savings.
* *Reduction in Carbon Emissions:* Reduces carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based bitumen due to the use of renewable agricultural biomass and reduced consumption of fossil fuels.
* *Rural/Agricultural Waste Utilization:* Creates an economic use for agricultural waste, generating new value-chains and additional income streams for farmers and entrepreneurs.
* **Standardization and Quality Assurance:**
* CSIR-CRRI is collaborating with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to evaluate long-term performance and draft standards for bio-bitumen roads.
* CSIR-CRRI is also working with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to formulate material specifications, test protocols, and usage guidelines.
**Impact Analysis**
**Impact**
* Will need to adjust manufacturing processes to incorporate the bio-bitumen technology.
* Must adhere to technical specifications, quality standards, and licensing agreement conditions.
**Action Required**
* Must scale up bio-bitumen production for commercial use.
* Should work with CSIR-CRRI and MoRTH to implement and improve the technology.
**Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)**
* **Impact**
* Will need to evaluate long-term performance of bio-bitumen roads.
* Will use evaluations to create standards for bio-bitumen usage.
* **Action Required**
* Collaborate with CSIR-CRRI on performance evaluations.
* Develop and implement standards for bio-bitumen in road construction.
**Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)**
* **Impact**
* Will contribute to the formulation of material specifications and test protocols for bio-bitumen.
* Will work to ensure uniform quality and safety.
* **Action Required**
* Collaborate with CSIR-CRRI.
* Develop material specifications, test protocols, and usage guidelines for bio-bitumen.
**Farmers and Rural Entrepreneurs**
* **Impact**
* Potential for additional income streams through new value-chains (collection, transport, pyrolysis units).
* Decreased reliance on stubble burning.
* **Action Required**
* Establish and participate in value chains for agricultural waste collection and processing.
* Adopt sustainable practices for agricultural waste management.
Key Entities Referenced
Bio-bitumen: A bio-binder developed from agricultural residue, intended to replace conventional petroleum-based bitumen in road construction.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): A research organization that developed the bio-bitumen technology along with its constituent laboratories CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP).
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH): The ministry working with CSIR-CRRI to evaluate the long-term performance of bio-bitumen roads.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): The standards organization working with CSIR-CRRI for the formulation of material specifications, test protocols and usage guidelines to ensure uniform quality, safety and long-term performance of bio-bitumen in road construction.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Parliament Question: Indigenous Development of
Bio-Bitumen from the stubble
Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 4:50PM by PIB Delhi
Indigenous Development of Bio-Bitumen from the stubble
(a) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its constituent laboratories
namely, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi and CSIR-Indian
Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun, has jointly developed an indigenous
technology to produce bio-bitumen from agricultural residue (notably rice straw) by
pyrolysis. The process converts crop residue into bio-oil via pyrolysis which is
subsequently upgraded through chemical processing and blended/modified to produce a
bio-binder suitable for use in bituminous roads.
(b) Bio-bitumen developed indigenously has the potential to partially replace conventional
petroleum-based bitumen without compromising pavement performance. Studies and
pilot-scale evaluations indicate that bio-bitumen can replace up to 30 per cent of
conventional bitumen. Even at a conservative blending level of 15 per cent, the adoption
of bio-bitumen across road projects in the country is estimated to result in foreign
exchange savings of approximately ₹4,000 crore per annum through reduction in petro-
bitumen imports. However, the actual savings will depend on blending ratio, availability of
feedstock, and extant market prices.(c) & (d) Yes. The developed technology has been transferred on a non-exclusive basis to 14
industries from different parts of the country for commercial manufacturing and scale-up
on 7th January 2026. The technology transfer, inter alia, includes provisions relating to
payment of upfront technology transfer fees (premia) and royalties, adherence to
prescribed technical specifications and quality standards, protection of intellectual
property rights, confidentiality obligations, and compliance with the scope and conditions
stipulated in the licence agreements. The details of the 14 licensees is at Annexure-I.
The likely impact of the adoption of bio-bitumen on cost reduction, import substitution,
carbon emissions and rural/agricultural waste utilization is as under:
Cost reduction and import substitution: Partial replacement of petroleum bitumen with
domestically produced bio-binder reduces the volume of imported bitumen required
thereby result in foreign exchange savings for the country.
Reduction in carbon emissions: Adoption of bio-bitumen is expected to result in a
significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based
bitumen. Bio-bitumen is derived from renewable agricultural biomass, and its partial
substitution for petro-bitumen reduces the consumption of fossil fuels and the associated
lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, utilisation of agricultural residues such as
crop stubble for bio-bitumen production helps prevent open-field burning, which is a
major source of carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and other air pollutants. The diversion
of biomass from open burning to productive use, therefore, leads to both direct and
indirect reductions in carbon emissions.
Rural/agricultural waste utilisation: Use of rice straw and crop residue as feedstock
creates an economic use for agricultural waste, opening new value-chains (collection,
transport, pyrolysis units) in rural areas. This could provide additional income streams to
farmers and rural entrepreneurs and reduce the need to burn stubble.
(e) To enable nationwide production and supply, the developed technology has already been
transferred to 14 industries from different regions of the country on a non-exclusive basis
to facilitate decentralized manufacturing and commercial scale-up. Further, CSIR-CRRI is
working with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to evaluate long
term performance of Bio-bitumen roads to draft standards and specifications for Bio-
bitumen. In addition CSIR-CRRI is also working with the Bureau of Indian Standards
(BIS) for the formulation of material specifications, test protocols and usage guidelines to
ensure uniform quality, safety and long-term performance of bio-bitumen in road
construction.
This Information was submitted by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology
Dr. Jitendra Singh in Loksabha on 4th February 2026.
*****
Annexure – IS. No. Company Name City State
1 Bitumenking India Private Limited Patiala Punjab
2 Catalyst Petrochem LLP Delhi Delhi
3 Engrow Carbon Energy Private Limited Erode Tamil Nadu
4 Future Universal Petrochem Private Limited Yamuna Nagar Haryana
5 Jalnidhi Bitumen Specialities Private Limited Kolkata West Bengal
6 Kotak Nova Green Energy LLP Jamnagar Gujarat
7 Negam Care Private Limited Namsai Arunachal Pradesh
8 Neptune Petrochemicals Limited Ahmedabad Gujarat
9 Nexxus Petro Industries Limited Ahmedabad Gujarat
10 Ooms Polymer Modified Bitumen Private Gurugram Haryana
Limited
11 Rex Fuels Management Private Limited Mumbai Maharashtra
12 RK Truevalue LLP Mumbai Maharashtra
13 Terra Climate Tech Private Limited Jaipur Rajasthan
14 VR Petrochem India LLP Vadodara Gujarat
*****
NKR/JP
(Release ID: 2223190) Visitor Counter : 87
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Tamil