Sistema.bio leadership meets NDDB to explore biogas expansion opportunities in rural areas

As India is charting new avenues to transform its waste into clean energy resources, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Sistema.bio are exploring opportunities to strengthen and expand their collaboration in the biogas sector, with a focus on promoting small-scale biogas plants among dairy farmers and developing mid-sized facilities for Gaushalas.

A delegation from Sistema.bio, led by Alex Eaton, Global CEO and Co-founder, met senior NDDB officials to discuss scaling up their partnership. Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, also participated in the meeting. Discussions centred on expanding access to biogas solutions to enhance farmers’ energy security, generate additional income and promote the productive utilisation of cattle dung for clean cooking fuel and organic fertiliser.

The two sides also explored opportunities to establish mid-sized biogas plants at Gaushalas to improve their financial and operational self-sufficiency.

NDDB stated on social media, “Dr Shah highlighted the progress of NDDB’s collaboration with Sistema. bio and the ongoing partnership with NDDB–Sustain Plus Energy Foundation, under which small biogas plants of capacity are being supplied. He also emphasised the importance of suitable financing mechanisms to make biogas plants more accessible to farmers.” Technical cooperation in carbon-credit registration and management was another key area of discussion.

Highlighting the sector’s potential, Sistema.bio’s Alex Eaton noted that India’s rural population accounts for nearly 60–65% of its total population, with an estimated 7–8 crore farmers engaged in dairy farming. Given India’s large cattle population and leading position in global milk production, agricultural and animal waste offer significant opportunities for decentralised clean energy generation.

Need of The Hour

The geopolitical disruptions and constraints in LPG supplies have further underscored the importance of alternative cooking fuels. Sistema.bio had informed previously that it has installed more than 1,24,000 biogas units in India, collectively replacing an estimated 1,24,000 LPG cylinders every month.

Depending on livestock numbers and household energy requirements, biogas systems cost between Rs 35,000 and Rs 1.75 lakh. Assessing the performance of its installations, the company’s annual survey indicates a dropout ratio of less than 1.5%, with family migration being the primary reason for discontinued usage rather than technological shortcomings.

The collaboration of Sistema.bio and NDDB aims to unlock the potential of livestock waste as a reliable source of clean energy while strengthening rural livelihoods and India’s energy security.