Jatropha to Aid Unsettled Farmers

According to The Times of India, the company has identified Khamgaon in Buldhana district as the likely location for its proposed 10,000 litres per day bio-diesel plant. Together the plantation and refinery are expected to provide employment to 20,000 people.

Hailed as a wonder plant, jatropha seeds hold a potential to address the prevailing energy security concerns. Moreover, the dryland conditions here suit jatropha. "We propose plantation in 10,000 hectares through contract farming models. We are also into talks with the Maharashtra government to rope in the NREGS scheme for plantation work," said Rawat.

IKF Green Fuel is a wholly owned subsidiary of listed company IKF Technologies, a listed company mainly into BPO, software and calling cards business. The parent company's turnover last year was to the tune of Rs 250 crore. It has already obtained SEBI's permission to raise Rs 400 crore through GDR route to fund the bio-fuels project, said Rawat.

Poised to emerge as leader in bio-fuels production by 2010, IKF would spread its plantation activity to 16 states by next year. The trans-esterification (refining process) plant proposed at Khamgaon will be third for the company. While the first one set up at Udaipur is on test run awaiting adequate feedstock, a bigger unit is being planned in Gujarat with institutional support.

View The Times of India story by clicking here.

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