Pune: The sugar industry should look beyond traditional sugar production and transform itself into a diversified biomass-based sector, former Maharashtra home and finance minister Jayant Patil said.
Speaking at the 71st annual convention of the Deccan Sugar Technologies Association (DSTA) and the inauguration of a sugar exhibition in Pune, Patil said sugar mills need to expand into multiple revenue-generating areas to strengthen their long-term economic sustainability.
According to Patil, the sector has significant potential to use sugarcane and its by-products for producing a range of value-added products. He highlighted ethanol, biogas and bio-CNG as important areas where sugar mills can diversify their operations.
The move towards a multiproduct model, he said, could help the sugar industry improve the utilisation of biomass while creating additional sources of income for mills.
Patil also underlined the growing importance of technology in the sugar sector. He called for greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and other advanced technologies to improve efficiency across sugar mill operations.
The integration of modern technology could help mills optimise production processes, improve resource utilisation and make operations more efficient, particularly as the industry faces the need to remain competitive and financially sustainable.
The comments come at a time when India's sugar industry is increasingly exploring opportunities beyond conventional sugar production. Ethanol manufacturing, bioenergy and other products derived from sugarcane biomass are becoming important components of the sector's diversification strategy.
The DSTA's annual convention brought together stakeholders from the sugar and allied industries to discuss technological developments and the future direction of the sector.
Patil's call for sugar mills to become multiproduct biomass resources highlights the broader shift taking place in the sugar industry—from a predominantly sugar-focused business model towards an integrated sugar, ethanol, bioenergy and biomass-based economy.
