The All India Distillers’ Association (AIDA) has elected a new President of the Association. Shekhar Swarup, Joint Managing Director, Globus Spirits Ltd, Haryana, took over the reins from Chandan Shirgaokar of Ugar Sugar Works Ltd, who successfully led the Association for five years. Aashik Shamanur, Director, Shamanur Sugars Limited took over as the Vice President of AIDA.
The Association held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 6th June 2024 after a gap of about five years since Chandan Shirgaokar took over as President of AIDA.
Addressing the AGM, the outgoing President Chandan Shirgaokar thanked the members factories and the Director General V N Raina for all the support and cooperation he got during the tenure and said that AIDA is proud to be part of the Hon. Prime Minister’s topmost National Agenda of achieving the 20% ethanol blending target by 2025. The Ethanol Blending Programme is an important national mission to substitute fossil fuels and give a boost to the distillery industry & in turn boost to agriculture growth of sugarcane, maize & rice.
“The Grain Based Distilleries have achieved approx. 100% growth in ethanol production in the last one year, through aggressive expansion and investments. In the year 2018-19, the Grain-based Distilleries supplied 9 Crore litres of Ethanol. In the current supply season, the total allocation to Grain-based Distilleries is 416 crore litres. We are hopeful that by 2025-26 Grain-based distilleries will cross ethanol production of 500 crore litres benchmark with support from Government of India,” he said.
Shirgaokar said that during the above period, the industry went through a tough time due to non-remunerative feedstock & ethanol prices as well as a sudden change in FCI policy, which the Industry overcame by shifting to alternate feedstock of maize. He added that during the COVID period, the distillery Industry came forward in manufacturing of hand sanitizers as per appeal by the Government of India and is very happy to note that few members also entered into the pharma sector taking this opportunity.
Newly elected President Shekhar Swarup said that the subject with regard to DDGS production availability & sales was an important matter for the industry to promote the production of ethanol and must be taken up strongly by the Association which will help in increasing the production of ethanol.
