we thank you for making our first convention Bioenergytech 2007 which was held at Hyatt Regency New Delhi on the 5th& 6th January 2007, with more then 250 national and international delegates participating. The Convention was inaugurated by Honourable Shri Sharad Pawarji, Union Minister for Agriculture and attended by Honourable Mani Shankar Aiyar, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and various other state and union dignitaries. The Keynote was delivered by the honourable Member (Energy) Planning Commission of India. The valedictory address was delivered by the honourable Cabinet Secretary, Government of India.

BDAI has been extensively working for the cause of Biodiesel industry. The Government has constituted a Group of Ministers for a comprehensive biofuels policy that judiciously balances the interests of primary producers, processors & consumers. This will help boost our efforts and output in the field of Biodiesel, meet rising energy demand, help raise rural incomes and sustain the ecology through green fuels. Biodiesel industry has been requesting that the entire scheme be appropriately incentivised so that each of the stakeholders is encouraged to participate in the national effort.

The Government of India and the Industry are showing significant interest and enthusiasm for participation in the CDM. It is an acknowledged fact that climate change is a long term concern and demands an innovation-led, technology driven approach towards global warming and green house gas emission reduction.

This needs modification and upgrading of the existing technologies and building new processing capacities with efficient utilization of our shared global resources like air, land, water, Sunshine.

Participation from all stakeholders is solicited for realization of sustainable Agricultural growth, Rural Development, Energy Security and equal opportunity for the mass with overall environmental protection. The 2008 seminar will mainly deliberate the following:

• Challenges and opportunity in Jatropha and similar bioenergy feedstock
  
• Building successful BioDiesel enterprises in India – limiting and enabling factors, emergent models and indicators of Biodiesel value chain
  
• Walking the talk: actors- primary producers, processors, Consumers and Policy makers.
  
• Political Debate by a High profile panel representing major political interests

It has been established that Jatropha can survive under semi-arid conditions and grows on marginal land, but the yields under these conditions are hardly interesting for an investor looking for quick return on investment. On the other hand if produced on arable land, with irrigation and fertilizer use, yields can make for an economically interesting project.

However, in areas with high unemployment, where water is a scarce resource, where little arable land is available, Jatropha is without doubt a promising alternative, generating a number of valuable side benefits that should be taken into account in cost-benefit analysis.

An alternative approach could be intercropping with food and other cash crops. We would present a white paper on the issue of feed stock. Frost & Sullivan is our knowledge partner.

The impact of climate change and reduction of green house gases and carbon trading would be deliberated in great detail. Ernst & Young are the knowledge partners.

We shall endeavor to present some funding/financing models for Biodiesel projects and investment opportunities in India .This could be of interest to Commercial Banks, Private fund, Venture capitalist and Entrepreneurs.

This conference will link various stakeholders on one platform, which will bring together the entire Biodiesel industry value chain. You will have firsthand information on the trends and potential of the entire industry.

The developing economies have already experienced steep increase in prices of food commodities like wheat, corn, and vegetable oil one hand and fossil fuel on the other. We intend to trigger a national political debate on this issue of global importance. We take this opportunity to invite you to participate in panel discussion and express your views on subject matter which is of great national importance.

We shall inform you shortly about the detailed programme of the conference.

Warm regards

Sandeep Chaturvedi
President