The Confederation of Indian Industry successfully organised the 9th edition of CII Sugartech conference which is CII’s annual flagship initiative on sugar and allied sector.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the conference Shri, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhury, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister, Sugarcane Development and Sugar Industry stated that Uttar Pradesh is all set to become the top ethanol producer in the country. The size of the industry in the state has crossed Rs 12,000 crore. He informed that the ethanol capacity of Uttar Pradesh has been estimated at 2 billion litres per year, which is almost eight times more than 240 million litres per year five years ago. The state’s ethanol capacity is expected to reach 2.25 billion litres per annum in the next few years. He mentioned that this sector has witnessed unprecedent support from the industry in terms of investment in plant and machinery, technology and total cultivation area in the last 6 years.
Addressing the audience, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh maintained that sugarcane industry plays a key role in the economic growth of the country. He mentioned that sugar sector is an apt example of circular economy that provides employment to more than 4.5 million families related to sugarcane sector in UP, which includes sugar, ethanol, jaggery, power cogeneration, jaggery, khandsari (refined sugar) etc. in its by-product portfolio. The consolidated annual sugarcane economy in the state is about Rs 50,000 crore. He mentioned that the state government is making efforts to integrate sugarcane crop with an attractive ethanol value chain to provide remunerative prices to farmers and double their income.
Conference Chairman & Executive Director & CEO (sugar business), DCM Shriram Ltd, Shri Roshan Lal Tamak, lauded the efforts of the state government for providing the sugar mills with an enabling and progressing policy infrastructure and reviving the sick sugar mill units in the state. He mentioned that sugar sector is the core of the UP’s agrarian society and has played a pivotal role in the economic development of the state. He also mentioned that establishment of Bio-Energy enterprises will also create additional income for farmers and generate new employment opportunities in rural areas.
Mr Akash Goenka, Chairman, CII UP State council and Director, Shubham Goldie Masale Pvt. Ltd. thanked all the participants and distinguished guests for joining the conference and mentioned that sugarcane sector plays a significant role in growth of the state’s economy and agriculture produce . We are one of the leading sugarcane-producing states in India and this sector holds immense potential for economic growth and rural development of Uttar Pradesh. He also lauded the Uttar Pradesh State Bio-Energy Policy – 2022 and called it a milestone of energy sector in UP.
Mr. Prabhu N Singh, IAS, Cane Commissioner, Govt of UP, mentioned that the Government of Uttar Pradesh in September 2022 declared the UP-Bio Energy policy with the main objective to encourage setting up Compressed Biogas Plants ,Bio Diesel production plants and Bio Coal production plants utilising Bioenergy waste in the state. He added that the priority of the state government is to ensure timely release of the payment to farmers.
Mr Anupam Shukla, IAS, Director, UPNEDA, govt of UP, mentioned that UPNEDA has allocated a nodal officer dedicatedly for bioenergy sector. He mentioned that we are working to augment the supply chain management with the help of FPOs, Gannasansthans by providing necessary subsidies incentives. He mentioned that to set-up CBG in UP, the state government is providing all the necessary subsidies in addition to the central government subsidies.
Padam Shri (Dr) Bakshi Ram spoke about crop 238 which has proved to be a gamechanger in sugar sector in Uttar Pradesh. Co 0238 has high average cane yield of 81 t/ha, against 68 t/ha of the zonal check variety CoJ 64. Its high-yield potential has been demonstrated to be 329.6 t/ha, as reported in the farmer’s field in Uttar Pradesh during 2017–18.
Renowned personality of the sugar and related sector such as Mr Aditya K Jhunjhunwala, Managing Director, KM Sugar Mills Ltd., Dr S. Solomon, President, Society for Sugar Research & Promotion, Dr R. Viswanathan, Director, Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Mr RG Agarwal, Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Limited, Mr Kaushal Jaiswal, Managing Director, Rivulis Irrigation India Pvt Ltd., Mr Sameer Sinha, CEO, Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited, Mr Vivek Verma, CMD, Spray Engineering Devices Limited, Mr Pradeep Mittal, Dy. ED, Dalmia Bharat Sugar & Industries Ltd, Mr Sahib Singh Cheema, Director, Saraswati Agro Life Science India Pvt. Ltd., Prof. Sanjeev Kapoor, Professor – Agribusiness Management, IIM-Lucknow, also addressed the audience on various topics such as Technology, Mechanization, Water Conservation, Drip irrigation, Research & Development for sustainable cultivation, crop 238, Bio-Energy, Ethanol, Compressed bio gas (CBG), Technologies in Sugar Sector: Water, Steam, Energy & Sugar Value Addition
More than 200 delegates from the industry, government, research intuitions, academia, CII members, participated in the conference.
