♦ Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that India has become the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen in road construction. Bitumen is a black, viscous mixture of hydrocarbons produced by the fractionation of crude oil, and it serves as a crucial binder in road construction. 

♦ While addressing the CSIR Technology Transfer Ceremony in New Delhi, the Minister congratulated CSIR on this historic milestone. Gadkari said that the initiative will help in reducing pollution from crop residue burning. The Minister said that bio-bitumen is a transformative step towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.