India’s ethanol blending programme has reached 19.98 per cent as of 31 January 2026, with grain-based distilleries continuing to account for the bulk of production.
Against a total ethanol requirement of 1,050 crore litres for the ongoing supply year, allocations have been made for 1,048.26 crore litres, indicating that nearly the entire requirement has been covered.
Grain-based feedstocks dominate the allocation mix. Of the total allocated volume, 759.75 crore litres — or 72 per cent — have been assigned to grain-based distilleries. In terms of actual supplies, grain-based units have delivered 151.17 crore litres so far, contributing 63 per cent of total ethanol supplied.
Maize remains the single largest contributor within the grain-based basket. Allocations for maize stand at 478.90 crore litres, accounting for 46 per cent of total allocations, while supplies have reached 86.45 crore litres, or 36 per cent of total supplies.
Ethanol from surplus foodgrain (SFG), primarily FCI rice, has been allocated 233.25 crore litres, representing 22 per cent of total allocations. Supplies from this segment stand at 52.06 crore litres, also contributing 22 per cent of total supplies.
Damaged foodgrain (DFG) accounts for 47.60 crore litres in allocations, or 5 per cent, with supplies at 12.66 crore litres, maintaining a similar 5 per cent share.
While sugarcane-based ethanol accounts for a smaller share of allocations at 288.51 crore litres, or 28 per cent of the total, it has contributed a relatively higher share in actual supplies. So far, 87.86 crore litres have been supplied from sugarcane-based sources, making up 37 per cent of total ethanol delivered, indicating quicker off-take from cane-based units.
Within the sugarcane category, ethanol produced directly from sugarcane juice leads the segment. Allocations for sugarcane juice stand at 165.85 crore litres, with supplies reaching 71.00 crore litres. B-heavy molasses has been allocated 110.49 crore litres, with supplies at 14.07 crore litres. C-heavy molasses accounts for 12.17 crore litres in allocations and 2.79 crore litres in supplies.
To support ethanol production and manage sugar inventories, mills have diverted around 11.78 lakh tonnes of sugar towards ethanol so far. Of this, 10.65 lakh tonnes have been diverted through sugarcane juice, while 1.13 lakh tonnes have come from B-heavy molasses.
The latest figures underline the continued push towards higher blending levels, with grain-based ethanol leading allocations and sugarcane-based units showing stronger supply momentum.
