Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched socio-economic initiatives of the Chinta Sasidhar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Vishwa Samudra Group, on Friday. The event took place at the Nandha Gokulam campus in Edagali village, Venkatachalam mandal, Nellore district. One of the key projects unveiled by the Chief Minister was the Vishwa Samudra Bio-Ethanol Plant, designed to help farmers by purchasing damaged or broken rice, thereby supplementing their income.
Speaking about the initiative, Naidu praised it as a farmer-friendly green project. He noted, “Spanning 24 acres, the grain-based ethanol plant has a production capacity of 200 kilolitres per day. It is set to supply ethanol to oil marketing companies under the Government of India’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).”
Developed with Praj’s advanced technology, this world-class ethanol facility is spread across 24 acres and is capable of producing fuel ethanol, CO₂, and DDGS. The plant will annually procure nearly 15,000 tonnes of broken rice and damaged grains from within a 250 km radius, engaging around 300 rice mills, a major step toward boosting farmers’ income and strengthening the rural circular economy.
Vishwa Samudra Group Chairman Chinta Sasidhar shared that Rs. 450 crore had been invested in socio-economic projects at Nandha Gokulam, excluding land acquisition costs. He mentioned that the bio-ethanol plant alone had a project cost of Rs. 340 crore. This facility is expected to create 250 direct jobs and over 300 indirect employment opportunities, reported The Hindu.
Sasidhar explained, “The bio-refinery processes agricultural feedstock into ethanol, benefiting farmers’ incomes and contributing to India’s ethanol blending targets. The plant will procure around 15,000 tonnes of broken rice from more than 300 rice mills within a 250-km radius, providing stable income opportunities for local farmers. Ethanol production has significantly increased in recent years.”
Along with the ethanol plant, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Nandha Gokulam Life School and the Nandha Gokulam Save The Bull Cause on the campus. The event was attended by Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, senior officials, and various political leaders.
