On January 7 and 8, more than 400 domestic and international stakeholders, including agri-businesses, OEMs, distillery operators, government officials, and technology consultants, gathered in New Delhi.
The discussions about ethanol production in India, which has emerged as a sunrise sector in the wake of the government's dedicated push to achieve a 20% ethanol blend in petroleum fuels across the country by 2025, were particularly noteworthy.
Not only will the move reduce the country's trade deficit and save INR 30,000 crore per year while reducing the environmental impact of fossil fuel, but it will also provide a significant boost to domestic ethanol production. With many new distilleries opening to help India meet its ambitious biofuel targets, the event discussed the sector's challenges, opportunities, and best practises. It also mapped out various government policies and public/private initiatives that can help the sector grow faster.
Speaking at the event, Vasu Naren, Managing Director & CEO, Sona Machinery, said, “With the government’s biofuel push, there is a unique, unparalleled opportunity on the horizon in the food/grain processing and ethanol production space. To drive business growth, stakeholders must come together and deliberate on the challenges and issues facing the industry, as well as best practices that can help them tap into this massive opportunity.”
“Events such as the Sugar & Ethanol India Conference 2023 provide a platform for these stakeholders to come together and participate in defining the industry’s future, as well as explore synergies with other industry players and policymakers to super charge its growth,” he added.
“The E20 policy has created a huge demand for processing equipment for sugar and grain distilleries, and OEMs such as Sona Machinery are catering to this growing demand. These tailwinds in domestic ethanol production are also adding momentum to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, as most of the machinery being deployed is produced in India with locally sourced raw materials.”
“More importantly, given that India is one of the largest producers of food grains in the world, there is a massive scope for Agri-processing businesses to explore grain-based ethanol production as a viable alternative to molasses-derived ethanol to move India closer to the 2025 vision for biofuel,” added Spokesperson.
