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By:

Asha Tripathi

14 April 2025 at 1:35:28 pm

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along...

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along with growth has come another silent challenge — the tendency to constantly observe, compare, and sometimes even compete with the journeys of others. But a crucial question arises: Is it necessary to track the growth of others in order to grow ourselves? From my personal experience of more than two decades as an entrepreneur, I have realised something very powerful — true growth begins the moment we stop looking sideways and start looking within. A Small Beginning I had a flourishing career of teaching abroad, but when I restarted my career after moving back to India, my beginning was extremely small. My very first assignment was a simple home tuition for a single student, and the amount I earned was meagre. There was nothing glamorous about it. No recognition, no large batches, no big earnings. Just one student and one opportunity. But instead of worrying about how others were doing, how many students they had, or how much they were earning, I made a conscious decision—my only focus would be on improving myself. I focused on teaching better, preparing better, and becoming more disciplined and consistent. And slowly, without even realising it, things began to grow. One student became two, two became a small group, and gradually, over the years, the work expanded beyond what I had initially imagined. Looking back today, I can confidently say that the growth did not happen because I competed with others. It happened because I competed with myself yesterday. Comparison Creates Noise When we keep watching others' journeys too closely, we unknowingly divert our own energy. Comparison creates unnecessary noise in our minds. It brings doubts, insecurities, and sometimes even negativity. Instead of walking our own path with clarity, we start questioning our speed, our direction, and our worth. True success grows through focus, not comparison. Every woman has her own story, her own pace, and her own struggles that others may never see. The path of one person can never be identical to another's. So comparing journeys is like comparing two different rivers flowing towards the same ocean — each with its own route, its own curves, and its own rhythm. As women, we already carry many responsibilities. We balance emotions, relationships, work, and society's expectations. In such a life, the last thing we need is the burden of comparison with one another. Instead, what we truly need is support for each other. When women encourage women, something extraordinary happens. Confidence grows. Opportunities multiply. Strength becomes collective rather than individual. There is enough space in the world for every woman to create her own identity. Each of us can build our own niche without stepping on someone else's path. Choose Encouragement Envy weakens us, but encouragement empowers us. Rather than questioning how someone else is progressing, we can ask a more meaningful question: "How can I grow a little better than I was yesterday?" Lift As You Rise Today, after twenty years of experience, the most valuable lesson I have learned is simple yet profound — focus on your own work with honesty and dedication, and success will quietly follow you. We, women, are capable, resilient, and creative. We do not need to pull each other down or compete in unhealthy ways. Instead, we can lift each other up while building our own dreams. Because when one woman rises, she does not rise alone. She inspires many others to believe that they can rise, too. And perhaps that is the most beautiful form of success. (The writer is a tutor based in Thane. Views personal.)

Ambitious biofuel push hits roadblock as flex-fuel engines lag

The ethanol conundrum — Part 2


In just five years, grain-based ethanol availability rises to over 10.28 billion litres; policy incentives spur production, but industry walks a tightrope

Kolhapur: When the Narendra Modi-led NDA government assumed office in 2014, ethanol blending in petrol stood at a modest 1.5 per cent. By December 2025, that figure had climbed to 20 per cent — a steep rise over 11 years that has helped the country save an estimated Rs 1.4 lakh crore in foreign exchange on fuel imports.


Buoyed by the early achievement of its initial targets, the Centre had first set its sights on raising ethanol blending to 30 per cent by 2030. With the 10 per cent and 20 per cent milestones achieved ahead of schedule, the timeline was advanced to December 2027. That, in turn, required a sharp expansion in ethanol production capacity.


The government rolled out what it described as a financially viable and investor-friendly framework for ethanol manufacturing, triggering a rapid build-up of capacity. But as blending levels approach 20 per cent, the limits of conventional vehicle engines have begun to show. Unless multi-fuel or flex-fuel engines become widely available, industry stakeholders warn, uncertainty will continue to loom over the ethanol sector.


For biofuels to be deployed at scale, availability alone is not enough; vehicle engines must also be compatible. Recognising this, the Centre worked on two fronts — announcing the National Bio-Energy Policy while, in parallel, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari publicly nudged the automobile industry to roll out flex-fuel vehicles within a defined timeframe. However, while ethanol production gathered pace, the vehicle manufacturing ecosystem failed to keep up.


As ethanol blending crossed 15 per cent, and with the 30 per cent target in view, the government announced an interest subvention scheme to support capital investment in ethanol projects. The scheme, which ran until 2024, attracted 196 promoters, all of whom set up grain-based ethanol plants. These projects together account for an installed capacity of 8.59 billion litres.


In addition, 38 more distilleries, with a combined capacity of 1.69 billion litres, are nearing completion. The scale and speed of expansion are evident from projects such as the Grainspan facility in Ahmedabad, which alone has a capacity of 350 kilolitres per day. Much of this capacity has been added over the past four years.


These ethanol plants are spread across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. Notably, many of the promoters are first-time entrants to the sector, coming from unrelated industries. Financial institutions provided capital, the government offered interest support and assured procurement, and projects were commissioned at breakneck speed. As a result, ethanol production capacity surged by 87 per cent — a surge that has now become a source of strain.


Grain-based ethanol today accounts for a larger share of incremental capacity than ethanol produced by the sugar industry. To support these projects, the Centre supplied grain at subsidised rates through the Food Corporation of India. Maize has emerged as a key feedstock, with the government incentivising its cultivation by fixing a minimum support price of Rs 2,300 per quintal. This led to a rise in maize acreage across the country.


However, with ethanol procurement orders drying up, maize purchases have slowed, pushing market prices down to around Rs 16 per kg. Farmers and processors alike are feeling the impact.


To deal with surplus ethanol, the Centre has permitted exports. But global prices for maize-based ethanol are significantly lower — about Rs 58 per litre — compared with the domestic assured price of Rs 71.80 per litre. Exporting ethanol at current rates would mean a loss of roughly Rs 13 per litre.


Some large manufacturers have chosen to absorb these losses to keep plants running at full capacity, but industry executives concede that this is not a sustainable solution. Overall, India’s ethanol sector finds itself walking a tightrope, caught between policy ambition, technological constraints and market realities.


(To be continued…)

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