Jagatjit Industries starts commercial production of grain-based ethanol

The Hindu

4 days ago

Jagatjit Industries Ltd. said it has commenced commercial production at its 200‑kilolitre‑per‑day (KLPD) grain‑based ethanol distillery, housed within the company's complex at Hamira in Punjab.
At full capacity, it could supply up to 65–70 million litre of ethanol per year, directly supporting the government's 20% ethanol blending target under the National Policy on Biofuels.
Roshini Sanah Jaiswal, Promoter & Executive Director said 'This plant marks a strategic milestone in Jagatjit Industries' journey.'
'With a ₹550 crore annual topline opportunity and an 8–10% margin lift, it brings stable, high-quality revenue that strengthens our balance sheet and funds our next phase of growth across premium spirits and new markets,' she said.
'It aligns us with India's clean energy mandate—converting surplus grain into biofuel and contributing meaningfully to the country's ethanol blending targets. This is a decisive step in building a more resilient and future-focused company,' she added.
The commissioning comes at a time when the government's ethanol‑blending programme has already lifted the petrol‑blend from virtually zero to 20%, and policy discussions are under way to raise that level to 27% in the years ahead.
Under the National Policy on Biofuels, distillers can draw on a wide range of feedstocks—corn, broken rice, damaged food grain and even agricultural residue—when supplies are officially deemed surplus.
Jagatjit's plant is designed to handle this mix, turning what might otherwise go to waste into fuel that cuts emissions and reduces the country's dependence on imported crude oil.