For decades, a sugar mill was essentially judged by how efficiently it converted sugarcane into sugar. Recovery, cane availability, sugar prices and production costs defined its economics.
That equation is changing. The sugar mill is increasingly becoming an integrated biorefinery, where the objective is not simply to maximise sugar output but to extract greater value from the agricultural resource through food, fuel, energy and bio-based products.
Ethanol has been the most visible catalyst for this shift. India achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol in 2025, five years ahead of the original target. More importantly, the programme has changed the strategic role of sugarcane and the assets built around it.
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