SEIC 2026 opens in Mumbai, industry leaders call for strengthening sugar sector through ethanol and bioenergy growth
The 5th Sugar – Ethanol & Bioenergy India Conference (SEIC) 2026 opened in Mumbai with industry leaders and policymakers discussing ethanol blending, sustainable aviation fuel, green energy and sugar sector challenges. Officials highlighted ethanol capacity growth, foreign exchange savings and improved cane dues payments.
Mumbai: The 5th edition of The Sugar – Ethanol & Bioenergy India Conference (SEIC) 2026 commenced in Mumbai with an inaugural session that brought together policymakers, industry leaders and global experts to deliberate on the future of India’s sugar, ethanol and bioenergy sector. The two-day conference was held from June 12 to June 13.
The conference was inaugurated with a ceremonial lamp lighting by dignitaries including Uppal Shah, Founder and CEO of Chinimandi; Hemant Shah, Co-founder of Chinimandi; Jitu Shah, Founder of J.K. Group; Raosaheb Danve Patil, Former Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, Government of India; Rajesh Tope, Former Health Minister; Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary at the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD); Dr. Sanjay Kolte, Sugar Commissioner, Maharashtra; Atul Chaturvedi, Executive Chairman, Shree Renuka Sugars Limited; Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director of National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF); Vijendra Singh, Executive Director & Deputy CEO, Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd; Omraje Botre-Patil, Director, Onkar Group; and José Mauro da Fonseca Costa Couto, Consul General of Brazil under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, among others.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution served as the official partner for SEIC 2026.
Addressing the inaugural session, Raosaheb Danve Patil, Former Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, Government of India said the current sugar season had not performed as expected and cautioned that the upcoming season may present similar challenges.
“This season was not so good and I think next season would be the same. The sugar industry has to take cautious steps keeping this in mind and I hope that this conference will come with an outcome that will strengthen the sugar sector and help in its growth,” he said.
Highlighting the broader role of the sugar industry in rural development and clean energy, Ravi Gupta, Director, Shri Renuka Sugars, said the sector has played a significant role in transforming Indian villages and ethanol would further contribute to rural prosperity.
“The sugar sector has transformed Indian villages. Ethanol will help in prospering villages further. Green energy cannot come from a weak industry. If the sugar industry is not in profit, investment will not come in green energy. We should export SAF and other such products as the world needs them and we are capable of it,” Gupta said.
Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary, DFPD, outlined the progress made under India’s ethanol blending programme and sugar sector payments.
“This year sugar consumption will be 280 lakh tonnes. India’s ethanol capacity is 1,995 crore litres. The ethanol blending programme has helped us save foreign exchange worth Rs 1.84 lakh crore. Of the total pending cane dues, 91% dues have been cleared for this season. For the last season we have cleared 99% of the total cane dues,” Srivastava said.
Speaking on the future of mobility and biofuels, Deepak Ballani, Director, Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), said wider adoption of flex-fuel vehicles could significantly reshape fuel consumption patterns.
“If consumers get a choice of flex fuel, by 2030 more than 50% vehicles on the road will be running on FFV,” Ballani said.
Former Health Minister Rajesh Tope acknowledged the challenges currently facing the sugar industry and stressed the importance of discussions that lead to actionable policy outcomes.
“The sugar industry is going through a tough phase and it is challenge to run sugar mills considering the present situation. The conference will help in highlighting these issues and help government to make policies based on it,” Tope said.
Dr. Sanjay Kolte, Sugar Commissioner, Maharashtra, said the conference would serve as an important platform for dialogue between government and industry stakeholders.
“The industry leaders and experts from sugar sector will discuss the issues and problems sugar industry is facing and the outcome of conference will help government to identify problems as well as solutions related to sugar sector. This conference is the best platform for government to understand issues related to sugar sector and work on them,” Kolte said.
The inaugural session set the tone for discussions across the two-day conference, focusing on strengthening India’s sugar economy while accelerating growth in ethanol and bioenergy as key pillars of sustainable development.
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Source : ChiniMandi
