New Delhi, September 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India supplied 895 crore litres of ethanol by the end of August under the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26, with grain-based feedstocks accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the cumulative supplies, according to data released by the All India Distillers’ Association (AIDA).
The total supply is equivalent to around 85 per cent of the 1,048 crore litres contracted for the period.
Grain-based feedstocks contributed 624 crore litres, while sugar-based sources accounted for 271 crore litres, reflecting a growing diversification of the country’s ethanol supply ecosystem.
Among grain-based feedstocks, maize was the largest contributor at 345 crore litres. Surplus rice procured through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) contributed 214 crore litres, while damaged food grains accounted for 64 crore litres.
In the sugar-based segment, sugarcane juice contributed 149 crore litres by the end of August. B-heavy molasses accounted for 107 crore litres, while C-heavy molasses contributed 15 crore litres.
Bharati Balaji, Deputy Director General, AIDA, said nearly 70 per cent of the ethanol supplied so far had come from grain-based feedstocks, led by maize and surplus FCI rice, while sugar-based sources continued to make a significant contribution.
She said the diversity of feedstocks would strengthen India’s ethanol programme by enabling the industry to utilise multiple domestic agricultural resources.
However, AIDA cautioned that with domestic ethanol production capacity and supplies continuing to expand, ensuring adequate and predictable demand avenues would become increasingly important.
The association said the issue would assume greater significance as India seeks to move beyond the existing ethanol-blending programme and expand ethanol utilisation in flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), compressed biogas (CBG), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other applications.
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