Gadkari to sugar mills: Diversify operations

Output seen to increase 18% in 2025-26 season

- SANDIP DAS

WITH THE PROJECTION of a significant rise in sugar production in the 2025-26 season (October-September) due to surplus monsoon rains, union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday urged the sugar industry to diversify their operations and explore ethanol-diesel blending and green hydrogen production.

Gadkari said there is also a need to focus on the production of sugar allied products. He suggested finding alternative uses of sugar, particularly by increasing the use of isobutanol for blending with diesel.

"India produces more sugar than its requirement...and if sugar production also increases in Brazil, then surplus sugar production will create problems in India also," Gadkari said at the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Conference 2025.