An interesting session “EBP of Bharat – Journey Beyond 20%: Exploring Possibilities & Capabilities of India’s Ethanol Blending Program” held at India BioEnergy & Tech Expo 2025 on September 24 focused on scaling ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent, exploring opportunities, challenges, and its impact on India’s energy and agricultural landscape.

 The panellist of the session includes Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM; Dr. S. S. Thipse, Senior Deputy Director, ARAI; Dr Balachandra R. Bakshi, Executive Director, Godavari Biorefineries Limited; Anurag Saraogi, Executive Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Ravi Gupta, Chairman, IFGE-SBF & Executive Director, Shree Renuka Sugars Limited moderated the session.

Prashant K Banerjee explained that sustainability depends on the right resources, and that adopting ethanol programs has shown positive results worldwide — proving ethanol blending to be one of the best solutions for cleaner mobility.

Dr S. S. Thipse spoke about petrol vehicles running on ethanol, India’s advantage as an agricultural powerhouse, and the development of new ethanol-based fuel products.

Dr Balachandra R. Bakshi, Executive Director, Godavari Biorefineries Limited emphasised farmer education on sugarcane and ethanol production to ensure long-term sustainability and participation.

Anurag Saraogi, Executive Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited shared BPCL’s efforts on ethanol adoption while also working on the future of EV vehicles and integrating multiple clean mobility solutions.

Ravi Gupta, Chairman, IFGE-SBF & Executive Director, Shree Renuka Sugars Limited Moderated the session, asking the panellists how India can focus on specific growth areas to maximise ethanol adoption and make the program successful nationwide.