Vadodra/Jammu: As part of the ongoing media tour organised by the Press Information Bureau, Jammu, led by Director Neha Jalali, the visiting media delegation toured the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Refinery and the Amul Dairy in Gujarat.
At the IOCL Refinery, officials briefed the delegation on the refinery’s operational capacity, refining processes, and its role in meeting the country’s energy requirements. They were made aware of the overall functioning of IOCL, its development over the years and its diversification into other products.
Executive Director and Refinery Head, Biplob Biswas, informed that the IOCL is one of the largest refineries in the country, playing an essential role in meeting the nation’s growing energy requirements. He informed that in addition to conventional petroleum products, the refinery manufactures Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB), a key raw material used in the production of new-age detergents. It also caters to the requirements of the paint and adhesive industries, thereby supporting diverse sectors of the economy.
The team also visited the Acrylic Oxo Alcohol Plant at Dumad, which produces value-added products such as Butyl Acrylate and n-Butanol. Biswas informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this 5,894 crore project in September 2025. The plant utilises refinery by-product propylene to manufacture high-value petrochemicals, thereby reducing the country’s dependence on imports for paints, coatings, adhesives and textile applications, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey towards petrochemical self-reliance.
Highlighting the ongoing transformation in the energy sector, Executive Director (Core Group), Sunil Kumar Sinha, stated that IOCL is aligning its strategies with emerging priorities such as renewables and decarbonisation. He said that the corporation is diversifying into niche and speciality products to meet evolving industrial demands and future-ready applications.
Officials informed that the Petrochemical and Lube Integration Project (LuPech) at Gujarat Refinery, with an estimated investment of ₹17,825 crore has increased the refinery’s nameplate capacity from the current 13.7 MMTPA to 18 MMTPA. It was further informed that Gujarat Refinery is already producing BS-VI-compliant fuels, XP-100 premium petrol, Ethanol Blended Motor Spirit, and low-sulphur MARPOL-compliant marine fuel.
General Manager (Technical Services), K. Subhash, and General Manager (Human Resources), Vibha Kumar, also interacted with the media persons and apprised them of the key functions and specialised roles pertaining to their respective domains.
Commissioned in 1966, Gujarat Refinery is Indian Oil’s flagship refinery, playing a catalytic role in Gujarat’s industrial growth. With a current capacity of 18 MMTPA, Gujarat Refinery is the largest refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and accounts for nearly 32 per cent of the corporation’s total refining capacity.
The media delegation later visited Amul Dairy, Anand, the flagship unit of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). Senior Manager, Amarjeet Singh informed that the federation procures nearly 11 billion litres of milk annually from about 3.6 million farmers adding that the Anand dairy alone has a processing capacity that places it among the world’s largest, with an overall handling capacity of nearly 50 million litres per day, ranking it among the top daily milk processors globally. Around 0.8 million farmers are associated through 1,278 village cooperative societies connected to the Anand union, he said.
The delegation was apprised that during the financial year 2024–25, milk procurement stood at approximately 1.75 billion kilograms, with a turnover of about 1.63 billion US dollars. The integrated model of procurement, processing, value addition and nationwide marketing has enabled sustained rural income generation, strengthened women’s participation in dairy activities, and contributed significantly to the agricultural economy of Gujarat and the country.
The delegation was briefed on milk processing, value addition, quality control mechanisms, and the wide range of dairy products manufactured and marketed under the Amul brand.
The visit provided the media persons with firsthand insights into Gujarat’s industrial and cooperative sectors, highlighting their contribution to economic growth, rural development, and employment generation.