IIT Roorkee professor proposes bio-bitumen road trial in Karnataka
An associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has written to the Karnataka government to build a trial stretch of road using bio-bitumen technology, claiming the innovation could reduce road construction costs by up to 20% while offering environmental benefits.
The proposed biobinder is produced by mixing 25% grade C sugar cane molasses with 75% natural bitumen through a controlled chemical reaction process. This will reduce the use of bitumen and also the over-reliance on it.
According to Nikhil Saboo, an associate professor at IIT Roorkee’s Department of Civil Engineering, he and the team have been researching and developing the technology for the past five years, with extensive laboratory research, performance testing and field implementation already completed. According to him, field implementation has brought positive results in other states as well.
The proposal came at a time when the price of bitumen has increased manifold following the crisis in West Asia. Bitumen rate is yet to stabilize as it is still hovering around ₹60,000 per tonne, while the cost was ₹45,000 before the crisis started.
Additionally, civic agencies in Bengaluru are experimenting and adopting new technologies related to road construction. Recently, B-SMILE announced that for the first time in Karnataka, UHPFRC (Ultra High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete) technology will be used for the construction of elevated corridors.
In a letter to the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Saboo requested the state government to approve a pilot project to demonstrate the viability of the technology.
Highlighting the economic benefits of the technology, Mr Saboo said the use of sugarcane molasses, a by-product of the sugar industry, could significantly reduce binder costs. While natural bitumen currently costs around ₹ 85 per kg, the price of molasses is usually between ₹ 10 and ₹ 15 per kg. Because no specialized infrastructure is required, the capital cost of adopting the technology would be zero, he noted.
“The technology can be easily adopted using existing drum mixer manufacturing facilities without the need for any additional infrastructure,” the letter said, adding that a key operational requirement is maintaining suitable production temperatures during the mixing process.
The letter also pointed out that India is the world’s second largest producer of sugarcane molasses with annual production estimated at 13-14 million tonnes, ensuring adequate availability of the raw material.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sahoo said the technology has already been tested in three field trials. Among them is a 650-meter test section on National Highway 709AD in Uttar Pradesh, built in November 2022. It also includes two sections in Uttarakhand.
“The road section that used biobitumen in the surface layer performed satisfactorily and remained maintenance-free for more than three years despite a traffic load of nearly 200 million standard axles,” he said.
In the letter, the associate professor also offered complete technical support from the research team at IIT Roorkee for field implementation and performance evaluation of the proposed examination section in Karnataka. The professor described the technology as sustainable and cost-effective and asked the state government to consider an early pilot project to assess the practical feasibility of the technology in local conditions.
A government source close to the development told The Hindu that the PWD department is interested in the project and will further discuss piloting the technology.
Published – 14 Jun 2026 20:42 IST