Global experts at Lucknow conference stress diversification, ethanol expansion and sustainable technologies for future-ready sugar mills
The global sugar industry is rapidly transforming from conventional sugar manufacturing into a diversified bioeconomy-driven sector focused on ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), bio-manufacturing and value-added products, experts said at an international conference held in Lucknow. The two-day conference, titled “Future Ready Sugar Industry: Pathway for Sustainable Growth”, was jointly organised by the Uttar Pradesh Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA) and Greentech Consultants at the Ramada by Wyndham Lucknow Hotel and Convention Center on Kanpur Road.
The event brought together policymakers, scientists, sugar industry leaders and international delegates from countries including Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt, the UK, the USA, Germany, South Africa and the Philippines to discuss sustainable growth, bio-energy, automation and technological innovation in the sugar sector.
Addressing the inaugural session, Uttar Pradesh Cane and Sugar Commissioner Ministi S said sugar mills must move beyond conventional sugar production and increasingly focus on by-products and value-added manufacturing to tackle future environmental and economic challenges. She also reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards ensuring timely payments to sugarcane farmers.
One of the key highlights of the conference was the keynote address delivered by Arvind Chudasama, long-time editor of Sugar Industry International, who outlined how the global sugar sector is evolving into a bio-manufacturing and bioeconomy powerhouse.Chudasama said sugar mills worldwide are diversifying into high-value products, specialty chemicals, advanced bio-materials and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). He highlighted the growing role of synthetic biology, DNA engineering and cellular genomics in converting agricultural raw materials into commercially valuable molecules using engineered microbes.
According to him, global investment in synthetic biology has increased sharply from nearly 10 billion dollars in 2014 to 116.5 billion dollars in 2024, with projections indicating the market could reach 330 billion dollars by 2030. He noted that countries including India, China, Japan, Thailand, the European Union and the United States are aggressively investing in bio-manufacturing ecosystems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on petroleum-based products.
“We are entering an era where synthetic biology and bio-based chemicals will fundamentally change how the world manufactures essential goods while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Chudasama said during his address.Several prominent personalities from the sugar and ethanol industry attended the event, including UPSMA chairman V.S. Banka, former chairman C.B. Patodia, DCM Shriram executive director R.L. Tamak and other senior industry representatives.
During the conference, the prestigious “Sharkara Bhushan” awards were presented to C.B. Patodia, Narendra Mohan, P.S. Gehlot, Roshan Lal Tamak, Shankar Lal Sharma and V.S. Banka for their contribution to the sugar industry. Young Women Entrepreneur awards were also presented to Mansi Agrawal and Avantika Saraogi.The first day of the conference featured six technical sessions focused on automation, ethanol production, waste-to-wealth technologies, compressed biogas (CBG), industrial water sustainability and integrated bio-refinery models.
In a technical session chaired by Vikas Thakur and co-chaired by Gaurav Awasthi, experts discussed strategies to transform traditional sugar mills into integrated bio-refineries.Mark Oliver Burkhardt from Sucrosphere and Pfeifer & Langen IP GmbH spoke about improving industrial automation through advanced data integration and analytics.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Desai of ReGreen Excel EPC India Ltd presented advanced technologies for ethanol and derivative production aimed at improving profitability for sugar mills.CBG expert Johncy Saji Mathew from Avant Garde showcased models for producing compressed biogas using press mud and distillery waste, while Satish V from UY Trienviro Pvt Ltd highlighted innovative recycling and water conservation technologies for industrial operations.
Organisers said the discussions reflected the urgent need for Indian sugar mills to adopt cleaner, smarter and more sustainable technologies to remain globally competitive in the evolving bioeconomy landscape.An expo zone at the venue attracted strong visitor interest with displays of modern sugarcane harvesting equipment, eco-friendly industrial technologies and sustainable bio-plastic applications.
The conference will continue with further sessions on policy reforms, emerging technologies, global market trends and the future roadmap for the sugar, ethanol and bio-energy sectors.
Sugar Times magazine was the media partner for the event.
