India’s ethanol supplies cross 800 cr ltrs as grain based share rises

India’s cumulative ethanol supplies crossed the 800-crore-litre mark during Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26, with grain-based feedstocks accounting for about 76 per cent of total supplies in July, according to data compiled by the All India Distillers’ Association (AIDA).Ethanol supplies stood at 93 crore litres in July, taking the cumulative figure beyond 800 crore litres, according to agency reports. Grain-based feedstocks contributed 71 crore litres during the month, compared with 75 crore litres out of 103 crore litres supplied in June.Despite the decline in overall monthly supplies, the share of grain-based ethanol increased to around 76 per cent in July from nearly 73 per cent in June.
Maize and surplus Food Corporation of India (FCI) grains were the biggest contributors, supplying 30 crore litres each in July. Together, they accounted for nearly 85 per cent of grain-based ethanol supplies. Damaged food grains contributed another 11 crore litres.Sugarcane-based feedstocks, meanwhile, contributed 22 crore litres in July, down from 28 crore litres in June. Their share also declined to around 24 per cent from 27 per cent in the previous month. B-Heavy Molasses accounted for 17 crore litres, while Sugarcane Juice and C-Heavy Molasses contributed 4 crore litres and 1 crore litre, respectively.
AIDA Deputy Director General Bharati Balaji said crossing the 800-crore-litre milestone highlighted the scale achieved by India’s ethanol programme and the growing capacity of the domestic industry.She said the rising contribution from grain-based sources, particularly maize and surplus FCI grains, showed the industry’s ability to diversify feedstocks and expand production.Balaji also underlined the need to create sufficient demand to absorb the growing production capacity. Higher ethanol blending, wider adoption of flex-fuel vehicles and greater use of ethanol in various applications could help maximise the potential of the ecosystem developed over the past decade, she said.