India bars sugarcane feedstocks for ethanol from November 2026
India just announced that, starting in November 2026, oil companies will not use sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, or B-heavy molasses to make ethanol for mixing into gasoline.
Instead, they are switching to alternatives like maize and C-heavy molasses to secure about 11 billion liters of ethanol.
The main goal? To keep enough sugar available at home, especially with recent weather problems, while still rolling out E20 gasoline nationwide.
Maize and surplus rice support blending
This move comes as sugar prices and supplies have gotten shaky in key sugar-producing states like Maharashtra and Karnataka.
By leaning on other crops (like maize and surplus rice), India hopes to keep fuel blending going strong without risking higher sugar prices or shortages.
It is all part of a bigger plan to make energy more sustainable and less dependent on just one crop.