The non-renewability, ecological concerns and health risks related to the fossil fuels has resulted in exploration of alternative sources of energy to substitute the standard ones. A promising technology, still in its infancy, that could show us the method to the future ahead is Biodiesels. Biodiesels are diesel fuels derived from vegetable oil or animal-fat that could be utilized to run diesel motors. Vegetables oils like sunflower, rape seed, palm oil, soya bean, jatropha curcas etc can be subjected to oil processing to produce biodiesels. It consists of no petroleum but can be mixed with petroleum diesel for usage or could be used in its pure type.

Developed countries specifically United States and European Countries have currently made considerable advances in the Biodiesel Technology. Biodiesel have discovered its usage throughout industries and verticals and might emerge as a perfect cleaner and less expensive option to gas, diesel and fossil fuels. India has likewise started exploring the opportunities to produce and utilize bio-diesel. A variety of plants for are already operating in the country where vegetable oils are reacted with alcohols (ethanol or methanol typically) to produce bio-diesel.

The primary reason for the increasing demand for biodiesels is the fact that biodiesels are renewable and carbon-neutral, therefore having no net impact on the climate. Besides, bio-diesel runs in compression engines similar to normal petroleum diesel and hence can be utilized with little or no engine modifications. Biodiesel do not need any separate infrastructure for its storage and can be stored much like the petroleum based fuels.

Considering the growing energy need in the nation, rising petroleum costs and the ecological dangers of fossil fuels, the Indian Government has actually used up initiatives to develop the Bio Diesel Technology in India and set up more oil processing systems. The Government announced its 'National Biofuel Policy' on 12 September 2008 which aims to meet 20% of India's diesel demand with bio-fuels in the coming years.

Globally, edible veggie oils like sunflower, soya bean, rape seed, palm oil are used as the pre-dominant raw products for oil processing and biodiesel production but in India the optimal potential to produce biodiesels is from jatropha curcas oil - a non-edible one produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas. The biggest advantage of using jatropha curcas as a raw product is that this plant can be grown in huge quantities in wastelands all throughout India needing very little water in contrast to other cash crops. Once grown, the plant has a beneficial life-span of a number of years. The Jatropha seeds include 40% oil and are thought about to be an outstanding source of bio-diesel. The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres of land ideal for the jatropha curcas cultivation in the country. India now

A study approximates that even if a blending initiative of 2% jatropha curcas based Biodiesel is accomplished in 2011-12, India will conserve around Rs. 3000 crores. Besides, it will create around Rs. 5500 crores in the rural economy and help in reduction of Green House Gas emission by 3 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) every year. The government is taking actions to motivate the cultivation of Jatropha in India offering free seeds, subsidized loans and other facilities. India needs to now strengthen its efforts to make the max usage of the Biodiesel Technology. Besides jatropha curcas, the opportunities for extracting biodiesel from vegetable oils, fats, sunflower, rape seed oil and palm oil ought to likewise be checked out. It will not only provide a response to the obstacle of Global Warming however could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and add to our own economy.