Reliance looks to set up bamboo ethanol plant in Tripura, informs CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has said that Reliance Industries is exploring possibilities of setting up a bamboo ethanol plant in Tripura. This announcement follows Manik Saha’s recent meeting in Mumbai with Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Anant Ambani. As per reports, investment opportunities in Tripura were discussed during the meeting of the Chief Minsiter.

Manik Saha revealed, “I met Mukesh Ambani and discussed the state’s resources, including agar, rubber and bamboo, which hold immense economic potential.” He emphasized the abundance of Muli bamboo in Tripura, which could be harnessed for ethanol production. According to the Chief Minister, Mukesh Ambani expressed his support for the initiative.

The announcement was made during the inauguration of a new auditorium at the Tripura Institute of Technology. Dr. Saha used the occasion to outline several measures aimed at fostering youth employment in the state. Among these, he mentioned a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tata Technologies to upgrade the state’s 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). This initiative, backed by an investment of ₹700 crore from the Tata Group, is expected to create 5,000 job opportunities for ITI graduates each year.

The CM held that these initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to economic growth, youth empowerment, and tackling pressing social issues in the region.

As of September 30, 2024, the total ethanol capacity of Tripura was 0.03 crore liters, which is far less than the E20 requirement of the North Eastern state. At the beginning of this year, Manik Saha proposed to set up a Bio-Ethanol Plant during a key meeting in Shillong.

India’s first bamboo based ethanol project was set up b Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) at its biorefinery in the adjoining state of Assam. Moreover, the players in the green energy production space are exploring similar bamboo based ethanol production plants in the states of Meghalaya and Mizoram.