The official inaugurated the 15th edition of the Urban Mobility in India Conference in the city of Kochi, in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala on Friday, All India Radio broadcast.

According to the minister, a 10-percent biofuel blend saved the country around five billion dollars last year.

Noting that 60 million people go to petrol pumps every day to refuel their vehicles, he said the country’s fuel consumption of five million barrels of crude oil per day was likely to increase to seven million barrels per day in the next few years.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at the opening ceremony that his government is willing to transform the State’s public transportation system to make it equitable, affordable and sustainable.

Experts from different parts of the country and abroad are attending the three-day meeting. jg/abo/mv/abm