Jatropha answer to fuel crisis: FICCI, The Financial Express, New Delhi, August 7, 2006

The centre should grant a 10 year exemption of excise and customs duties as well as central and state levies on bio-diesel or Jatropha oil to encourage large scale corporate plantation and reduce India’s massive crude oil import bill, industry chamber FICCI said on Sunday. To give further encouragement to FDI for Jatropha cultivation and production of bio-diesel, the chamber suggested combining the cultivation with National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) Scheme.

Substitution of bio-fuel for oil will help reduce imports and improve environment, a FICCI release said. These plantations would help India tap the opportunities under clean development mechanism, it added.