Revised rice policy will expand feedstock base for ethanol production: Joint Secretary, DFPD
At the GEMA Ethanol Conclave 2026, stakeholders backed higher ethanol blends, Flex Fuel Vehicles, and grain-based ethanol expansion. Officials highlighted 20% ethanol blending, saving ₹1.90 lakh crore in foreign exchange, while promoting maize and broken rice as key feedstocks to strengthen India’s biofuel and energy security.
The Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA) convened the GEMA Ethanol Conclave 2026, bringing together senior government officials, policymakers, automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies (OMCs), ethanol producers, industry leaders and members of the diplomatic community to deliberate on the future of grain-based ethanol, flex-fuel mobility and India’s evolving biofuel roadmap.
The conclave themed “Grain-Based Ethanol, Energy Security, FFVs and India’s Biofuel Roadmap,” comes at a pivotal moment in India’s energy transition following the successful nationwide rollout of E20 petrol. As India charts its post-E20 roadmap, discussions centred on accelerating the adoption of higher ethanol blends, including E85, expanding the ecosystem for Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), strengthening feedstock availability through maize and other diversified sources, and advancing policy and technology interventions.
Deliberations also underscored the critical role of grain-based ethanol in enhancing energy security, reducing crude oil import dependence, generating rural livelihoods, strengthening farmer incomes and building a resilient, future-ready biofuel ecosystem.
Addressing the conclave, Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), highlighted the transformative impact of the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme on India’s energy security and rural economy.
“The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme has delivered significant economic, environmental and social benefits to the country over the past decade. Achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending has enabled India to reduce its dependence on imported crude oil, resulting in foreign exchange savings of over ₹1.90 lakh crore by replacing more than 310 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil with domestically produced ethanol.
“The government’s recent decision to revise the quality specifications for rice distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana further strengthens this ecosystem. By reducing the permissible broken rice content from 25% to 10%, the policy will ensure better-quality rice for more than 80 crore beneficiaries while making additional broken rice available for industrial applications, including ethanol production. Together with maize, which has now emerged as the largest feedstock for ethanol production, this will strengthen feedstock availability and support the next phase of India’s biofuel programme while advancing the twin objectives of food security and energy security,” he said
Dr. C. K. Jain, President, Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA), said, “India’s successful rollout of E20 marks the beginning of the next phase of its biofuel journey. As the country advances towards higher ethanol blends and wider adoption of Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), grain-based ethanol will play an even greater role in strengthening energy security, reducing crude oil import dependence, creating rural livelihoods and enhancing farmer incomes.
“At GEMA, our endeavour is not only to accelerate India’s ethanol transition but also to build a farmer-centric movement that creates sustainable value across the entire rural economy while supporting the nation’s clean energy and energy security goals.”
The conclave concluded with a shared commitment from policymakers, industry leaders and global stakeholders to accelerate the next phase of India’s ethanol blending programme through sustained policy support, feedstock diversification, innovation and stronger collaboration across the biofuel value chain.
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Source : Agro Spectrum
