en.Wedoany.com Reported - The inaugural "Sugar Future 2026" conference was recently held in India. The Indian Sugar and Bioenergy Manufacturers Association proposed at the meeting that the Indian sugar industry is transitioning from a traditional sugar-producing sector to a new phase that emphasizes efficiency, digital intelligence, and bioenergy synergy. Industry competitiveness will increasingly depend on lower energy consumption, higher recovery rates, and real-time data-driven plant operations.
The two-day conference brought together policymakers, industry enterprises, and technical experts. Indian Food and Public Distribution Minister Sanjeev Chopra presided over the opening ceremony, with Joint Secretary for Sugar Affairs Ashwini Srivastava in attendance. Information from the conference indicated that the next step for the Indian sugar industry is no longer solely focused on output but places greater emphasis on process optimization, energy utilization, and digital management, covering the entire production chain from cane handling, juice extraction, crystallization to smart factory operations.
Sanjeev Chopra stated at the conference that over the past 10 years, the Indian sugar industry has transformed into a vital component of the country's bioenergy system. Centered around the 20% ethanol blending program, India has saved nearly 1.65 trillion rupees in crude oil expenditures. According to his remarks, the focus of the next phase is to narrow efficiency gaps at the plant level, enhance the utilization of real-time data, and accelerate process optimization.
Neeraj Shirgaonkar, President of the Indian Sugar and Bioenergy Manufacturers Association, pointed out that the Indian sugar industry is shifting from a cyclical commodity industry to a more stable and diversified bioenergy ecosystem. The Association's Director General, Deepak Barani, focused on the execution level, stating that the subsequent growth of sugar mills will depend on using data for real-time decision-making, reducing energy and water consumption, and achieving quantifiable benefits by minimizing downtime and improving sugar recovery rates.
The technological pathways showcased at the conference include automation, artificial intelligence, real-time process control, advanced evaporation systems, thermal integration, and efficient cogeneration. According to signals released at the conference, the transformation of the Indian sugar industry has moved from directional discussions to the implementation stage at the plant level, with a focus on reducing steam consumption, lowering energy consumption, increasing recovery rates, and enhancing the added value of by-products.
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