All India Distillers’ Association
In 1953 an All-India body of distillers was constituted which was baptized All India Distillers’ Association (AIDA). During the intervening six decades this association has not only grown in size but has also widened its sphere of activity. At the time of its birth, the association had a membership of only fifteen whereas the fraternity has now swelled to close to well over hundred. The constituents of the association control more than 80% of the total distillation capacity in the country. It is indeed a matter for gratification that AIDA is the sole apex representative body of the distillery and alcohol / ethanol industry in the country.
The Association has been carrying out a pioneering work with regard to catering to interests of the distillery industry and has gone from strength to strength throughout all these past 69 years, to the extent that it is now a force to reckon with as far as the alcohol, liquor and most importantly Ethanol distillery industry is concerned. The advent of Ethanol as an ideal blend for admixture with Motor fuel/petrol has provided further boost to the importance of this industry and the association, in the country’s industrial scenario. We visualise a bright future for the industry and a much stronger association in very near future. One of the prime objectives of the Association is to promote and regulate healthy relationship between the workmen and workmen & between the employers and employees of the industry to maintain industrial harmony and business relationship. The Association was formed primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workmen and employers and to strengthen the knowledge base of the workers of the alcohol / ethanol industry.
The alcohol / ethanol Industry today is the primary supportive entity to its mother industry sugar and grain industry. It is the only and sole source of utilising the sugar industry’s molasses, which is a waste product of sugar industry derived from production of sugar.
The All-India Distillers’ Association (AIDA) is presently very active in tackling the issues for the industry primarily that of Effluent Treatment and Ethanol production from various resources apart from the molasses and Ethanol from Grains. The Association therefore in this cause, has been regularly conducting foreign study tours, technical seminars and Educative workshops primarily on ethanol & alcohol to educate its members on various latest and emerging technologies from all over the world. The problem of Effluent Treatment stares the industry in its face and it requires commercially and technically viable technologies to achieve Zero Spent wash Discharge (ZSD).
AIDA has been doing very thorough study and work in this regard with the result that the industry has achieved reasonably high success in finding the solutions to these major issues, and now is recognised as the sole representative of Distillery / Ethanol Industry, primarily Grain Based Ethanol, in many top countries all over the world. The industry lately has been recognised as sole and strong office bearer of grain-based distilleries producing ethanol. It has carried out member of international tours to various countries to study not only liquor industry but now more importantly ethanol particularly to U.K., Australia, Brazil & USA.
Thus, the expansion of the alcohol industry was the first major step taken up in the right earnest during 1990s onwards to the extent that from a small number of 60 distilleries in the country in the 1970s it rose to over 230 in early 1990s whereas today the number stands at over 390 distilleries in the country with the total production capacity of 700 Cr. litres of alcohol from sugarcane AND also over 152 Grain Based Ethanol producing units with production capacity of 506 Cr. Litres. This industry today is counted among the major and important industries and plays an important role in the nation’s industrial and economic growth, with an annual turnover of over Rs. 10.00 Lac crores and providing direct and indirect employment to over 4.0 lac people.
AIDA is still trying to resolve some key issues that include huge divergence in types of duties/fees and rates thereof, huge difference in interstate rates of duties creating problems of pricing and interstate movement of products. AIDA is the leading business support organization for the alcohol & liquor and ethanol industry in India and maintains the lead as the proactive business solution provider through continuous interaction at the constituent level including OMCs and various government agencies level. It is therefore now the largest and the oldest apex organisation of Indian Alcohol and ethanol Industry.
With the untiring work and efforts of the present set up of the office bearers and the AIDA secretariat, AIDA has become the voice of the distillery industry and now the sole body to be recognised as torch bearer of the Grain Based Ethanol, in the country. The association’s recommendations, suggestions and critical analysis on various policy matters pertaining to alcohol & ethanol and distillery industry are sought and considered by the Union Government as well as most of the state governments, before framing any policy.
