Tata Chemicals to enter into bio-fuels

MUMBAI: Tata Chemicals, which has lined up a one billion dollar investment over the next 2-3 years, will enter into bio-diesel, fresh fruits and vegetables production and distribution as part of its expansion strategy. It has established jatropha cultivation in five regions of the country for production of bio-diesel. Once it is successful, it will be replicated elsewhere in the country for large-scale manufacture of ethanol for blending with petrol. On bio-diesel, jatropha cultivation took at least four years and once the plants matured, an oil mill will be established for extraction of jatropha. About 14 per cent of India''s land mass is wasteland which is enough to meet the requirements of bio-diesel for mixing up to 15 per cent diesel