India’s ethanol manufacturing industry is at the centre of one of the most consequential energy transitions in the country’s history. The India ethanol market reached USD 3.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 11.8 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 13.95 percent. As of 2026, all petrol retailed across India is E20 blended, meaning it contains 20 percent ethanol, fulfilling the government’s ambitious ethanol blending target well ahead of schedule. India’s domestic production footprint has skyrocketed to nearly 20 billion litres per annum, with Oil Marketing Companies like IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL as the mandated buyers at government-fixed rates. The ethanol blending program has simultaneously reduced crude oil imports, stabilised sugarcane farmer incomes, and cut carbon emissions from India’s transportation sector. Let us have a look at the top 10 ethanol manufacturing companies in India for the year 2026.
1. Shree Renuka Sugars Limited
Shree Renuka Sugars, a Wilmar company with a 62.48 percent controlling stake and headquartered in Belagavi, Karnataka, is India’s largest ethanol producer by installed capacity with a 1,250 KLPD distillery capacity, which is the largest single-company ethanol production capacity in the country. The company completed its major expansion in FY2023 and operates eight sugar mills including subsidiaries along with two of India’s largest port-based refineries at Kandla and Haldia. Shree Renuka’s integrated sugar belt and ethanol production gives it lower logistics costs for molasses and juice movement during seasonal operations.
Shree Renuka Sugars serves Oil Marketing Companies IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL as the primary buyer of its ethanol under the government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol program, and is the largest single supplier to India’s national ethanol blending program, playing a critical role in India’s energy security and agricultural income stabilisation objectives.
2. Balrampur Chini Mills Limited
Balrampur Chini Mills, headquartered in Kolkata with its manufacturing operations spread across Uttar Pradesh, is India’s second largest ethanol producer with approximately 1,050 KLPD of installed distillery capacity and a philosophy of maximising resource utilisation from sugarcane. The company has built a highly balanced sugar-ethanol portfolio that focuses on B-heavy molasses and cane juice feedstocks, raising ethanol output without overproducing sugar. Balrampur’s logistics are efficient because its cane catchments and distilleries are co-located, cutting feedstock haulage and time losses significantly.
Balrampur Chini serves the oil marketing companies and the government’s ethanol blending program as one of the most consistent large-volume ethanol suppliers in Uttar Pradesh, and its diversified feedstock flexibility and operational efficiency make it one of the most profitable and shareholder-friendly ethanol companies in India.
3. Triveni Engineering and Industries Limited
Triveni Engineering, one of India’s largest and oldest integrated sugar manufacturers and headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has a current ethanol production capacity of more than 520 KLPD with plans to expand to 660 KLPD in the near future. The company operates multiple distilleries in Uttar Pradesh and is a key supplier to the Oil Marketing Companies under the Ethanol Blended Petrol program. Beyond sugar and ethanol, Triveni is also a market leader in power transmission equipment, water and wastewater treatment solutions, and defence equipment, making it India’s most diversified sugar-ethanol company.
Triveni Engineering serves oil marketing companies with ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses and cane juice and its backward integration with its sugar business guarantees consistent raw material supply, while its defence and power transmission businesses provide additional revenue diversification beyond the sugar-ethanol cycle.
4. Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Limited
Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Limited, founded in the year 1931 as part of the trusted Bajaj Group and one of India’s largest integrated sugar mills by crushing capacity, is considered by industry analysts to be one of the largest ethanol suppliers to oil marketing companies in India. The company has made significant investments in ethanol distillery capacity at its Uttar Pradesh sugar mills, which are located in the sugar bowl of India providing a steady supply of sugarcane molasses and juice as feedstock. Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar’s large-scale operations across Uttar Pradesh provide it with a consistent and large-volume supply of raw materials for ethanol production.
Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar serves oil marketing companies as one of the largest single-group ethanol suppliers in India from its network of Uttar Pradesh sugar mills, and the Bajaj brand association brings credibility and long-standing institutional relationships with government ethanol procurement agencies.
5. Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Limited
Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries, a part of the diversified Dalmia Bharat Group with operations in Uttar Pradesh, is one of India’s prominent integrated sugar and ethanol manufacturers with strong ethanol capacity that has been expanded aggressively to benefit from the government’s ethanol blending mandate. The company is ranked among the top five ethanol manufacturers in India by operational capacity and has focused on feedstock flexibility to maximise ethanol production across different price environments for sugar and molasses.
Dalmia Bharat Sugar serves oil marketing companies and the ethanol blending program from its Uttar Pradesh distillery operations, and benefits from the broader Dalmia Bharat Group’s financial strength and governance standards that give it strong institutional credibility and access to project financing for capacity expansion.
6. Praj Industries Limited
Praj Industries, founded in the year 1983 and headquartered in Pune, is the most uniquely positioned company in India’s ethanol ecosystem because it is not primarily an ethanol producer but the world-leading provider of biofuel technology, engineering, and process solutions for ethanol plant construction and optimisation. The company has engineered ethanol plants with a combined capacity of over 8 billion litres per annum globally, making it the dominant technology provider for India’s ethanol manufacturing buildout. Praj’s 2G and 3G ethanol technology platforms using crop residues and non-food biomass as feedstock are central to India’s next-generation ethanol ambitions.
Praj Industries serves sugar mills, standalone distilleries, grain-based ethanol manufacturers, and government energy programs across India and 100 other countries with its biofuel technology, engineering, procurement, and construction services, and is the company that literally builds the infrastructure that makes India’s ethanol revolution possible.
7. EID Parry (India) Limited
EID Parry India, a subsidiary of the Murugappa Group founded in the year 1788 as East India Distilleries and Sugar Factories and headquartered in Chennai, is one of India’s largest and most geographically diversified sugar and ethanol companies with operations spanning Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The company is the holding company of Coromandel International and brings the Murugappa Group’s deep financial strength and ethical governance to the ethanol manufacturing sector. EID Parry’s distillery operations complement its dominant position in South Indian sugar production.
EID Parry serves the government’s ethanol blending program as a key southern India-based supplier, and its geographic presence across multiple southern states gives it supply chain advantages and resilience against the regional agroclimate variations that can affect sugarcane availability in any single state in a given year.
8. Dhampur Sugar Mills Limited
Dhampur Sugar Mills, a well-established Uttar Pradesh-based integrated sugar and ethanol manufacturer, has been expanding its ethanol production capabilities by more than 50 percent and maintains a strong position among mid-size ethanol manufacturing businesses in India. The company’s extensive rural network across the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh and its continuous product development have sustained its competitiveness against larger peers. Dhampur’s ethanol plant is situated optimally to serve oil marketing company depots in northern India.
Dhampur Sugar Mills serves oil marketing companies with ethanol from its Uttar Pradesh distillery operations and is expanding its capacity to position itself among the top three rapidly developing mid-size ethanol manufacturers in India as the demand from E20 blending and the future E100 target continues to grow.
9. Dwarikesh Sugar Industries Limited
Dwarikesh Sugar Industries, founded in the year 1993 and based in Uttar Pradesh, operates a 337.5 KLPD ethanol production capacity using molasses and sugarcane juice as feedstock. The company commissioned a modern plant in Bhagwanpur, Phulwa District, Bareilly with 7,500 TCD sugar capacity and 36 MW power capacity and has made significant progress in establishing itself as a sustainable ethanol producer. Dwarikesh is a firm believer in ESG values and participates actively in the government’s Ethanol Blending Programme with high-efficiency distillation units.
Dwarikesh Sugar Industries serves the oil marketing companies’ ethanol procurement program from its Uttar Pradesh facilities and has built a growing reputation as a clean energy and sustainability-oriented ethanol manufacturer that combines efficient production with strong governance and environmental compliance standards.
10. Globus Spirits Limited
Globus Spirits, a leading manufacturer of grain-based ethanol and country liquor headquartered in Gurugram, represents the important and growing segment of grain-based ethanol producers in India that complement the sugarcane-based ethanol sector. The company has significant distillery capacity across Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand producing ethanol from broken rice and other grain feedstocks. Grain-based ethanol has become increasingly important in India’s blending program as it provides year-round production that is not subject to the seasonal supply variations of sugarcane.
Globus Spirits serves the oil marketing companies’ ethanol procurement program from its multi-state grain-based distillery operations, and its geographic and feedstock diversification makes it a uniquely resilient ethanol supplier that can maintain production volumes even when sugarcane-based producers face seasonal or climatic disruptions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is India’s ethanol blending percentage in 2026?
A: As of 2026, all petrol retailed across India contains E20 blending, meaning 20 percent ethanol content, meeting the government’s ambitious target that was originally set for 2025. India’s domestic ethanol production has reached nearly 20 billion litres per annum to meet this blending requirement. The government is now targeting E100 or pure ethanol fuelling as the next milestone in India’s energy transition.
Q: Which is the largest ethanol producer in India in 2026?
A: Shree Renuka Sugars is India’s largest ethanol producer by installed capacity with 1,250 KLPD of distillery capacity, making it the largest single-company ethanol production facility in the country. By production volume ranking, the top five are Shree Renuka Sugars at 1,250 KLPD, Balrampur Chini at 1,050 KLPD, and Triveni Engineering at 520 KLPD with expansion plans to 660 KLPD.
Q: What feedstocks are used to produce ethanol in India?
A: Indian ethanol is produced from multiple feedstocks depending on their seasonal availability and price. The primary feedstocks are sugarcane juice, B-heavy molasses, and C-heavy molasses from sugar mills. Grain-based feedstocks including broken rice, maize, and damaged food grains are used by standalone distilleries. The government has been progressively expanding the list of approved feedstocks and increasing price support for higher-quality feedstocks to boost ethanol output throughout the year.
Q: How does the ethanol blending program benefit Indian farmers?
A: The Ethanol Blended Petrol program creates guaranteed demand for sugarcane and grain at government-fixed prices, providing farmers with a stable and profitable alternative market that stabilises sugarcane prices. The program is estimated to have contributed to a 25 percent increase in income for sugarcane farmers in key producing areas. It has also reduced sugar industry inventory buildup that previously depressed prices, creating a healthier economic model for the integrated sugar-ethanol sector.
Q: What is the size of India’s ethanol market in 2026?
A: The India ethanol market reached USD 3.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 11.8 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.95 percent. India’s domestic production has reached nearly 20 billion litres per annum to meet E20 blending requirements. The government’s future E100 target and the growing use of ethanol in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial applications are expected to drive sustained long-term demand growth.
