NDDB Chief Meenesh Shah Wins Global Biogas Leadership Award

ANAND : Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has been conferred with the inaugural award “Strategic Leadership in the Global Biogas Sector” by the World Biogas Association (WBA) during the prestigious AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2026 event held on 8 July 2026 at The Vox, NEC Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Instituted by the WBA, the award recognises exceptional strategic leadership in advancing the global biogas sector. Dr Shah is the first recipient, making this a landmark recognition of his vision in positioning India’s dairy cooperative sector as a global model for the circular bioeconomy.

The AD & Biogas Industry Awards, jointly organised by the WBA and the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) are among the highest honours in the global anaerobic digestion and biogas industry. Presented annually during the World Biogas Expo, the awards recognise outstanding organisations, projects and individuals for their contribution to innovation, sustainability and leadership.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, said, “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the World Biogas Association. This award belongs to millions of dairy farmers and our cooperative institutions who have embraced sustainable practices and demonstrated that dung and agri-residues are not a waste but a valuable resource if utilised in a proper manner. At NDDB, we remain committed to building a circular dairy economy by transforming cattle dung into clean energy, organic fertilisers, which provides additional income to farmers while contributing to India’s climate commitments and energy security goals.”

Under Dr Shah’s leadership, NDDB has pioneered various dairy-led circular economy models that transforms cattle dung into clean energy for farmers or thermal and electric energy in dairy plants or Compressed Biogas (CBG), organic fertilisers and generate carbon credits enabling dairy farmers to earn an additional income while contributing to renewable energy generation, improved soil health and methane emissions reduction. NDDB has developed and demonstrated a range of scalable manure management models, including household biogas systems, community biogas plants and large-scale biogas and CBG projects. NDDB has also forged strategic partnerships with leading national and international organisations to accelerate the adoption of sustainable manure management models.

The WBA is the global trade association representing the anaerobic digestion, biogas and landfill gas sectors. Working with governments, industries, financial institutions and international organisations, it promotes biogas as a key solution for clean energy, sustainable waste management, climate action and the circular economy. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the WBA, celebrating a decade of advancing the global biogas industry.