Held at the Hotel Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai, the conference was attended by senior industry representatives, bureaucrats and leaders who are pressing for an urgent need to change the negative perception for diesel.
The conference was organized by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in a bid to recognize diesel as a viable fuel for transportation from the standpoint of conserving energy and preserving the environment. Praful Patel, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise addressed the session on Auto Fuel Policy while a booklet titled ‘Diesel Goes Green was launched which draws attention to the way in which diesel is wrongly perceived as a pollutant and a potential hazard to the environment.
Other speakers also stressed on the need for recognizing diesel as a viable fuel for transportation and urged the Union Government to give impetus to introducing a blueprint on implementing cleaner emission norms, introducing a sustainable pricing model for diesel fuel and enforcing a strict diesel policy for fleet modernization.
Launching SIAM’s diesel booklet titled ‘Diesel Goes Green’, Mr. Praful Patel, Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said, “Diesel has become synonymous with the dynamic nature of our economy. It has been acting as a catalyst of industrial, as well as agricultural development in the country. Globally, diesel has undergone much refinement, and, advancement in diesel engine technology and improvement in the quality of diesel fuel are consistent with the policy of climate change, energy and environment and can meet the specified norms positively, addressing the issue of global warming” he added.
Citing the importance of diesel and how it is wrongly perceived to be a polluting and harmful to the environment, Mr. Anant J Talaulicar, Chairman, SIAM Diesel Image Group and CMD, Cummins India said that “The Emissions from today’s diesel vehicles have considerably reduced thanks to more efficient engines and more effective emissions control technology. Diesel’s unique property such as its unmatched power density, energy efficiency and widespread availability makes it an ideal fuel for the industrial and automotive sector.”
