# India’s ethanol transition: Can grain-based feedstocks fill the gap left by sugar? - The HinduBusinessLine

> India's oil marketing companies issued a 2026-27 ethanol procurement tender on October 16 seeking about 11 billion litres, excluding ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses. The maize-based ethanol procurement price was cut from ₹71.86 to ₹68.86 per litre. Grain-based feedstocks made up 71.4% of receipts in the 2025-26 supply year.

- Date: 2026-11-01 · published 2026-11-01T06:07:21.613Z
- Category: policy · region India · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/4049-india-s-ethanol-transition-can-grain-based-feedstocks-fill-the-gap-left-by
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Shifting ethanol output from sugar to grain raises demand for maize and other grains, which tightens feed grain supplies in India. Lower sugar output for 2026-27 also points to firmer domestic sugar prices.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2022-01-21 | [Grain-based ethanol manufacturers demand dual pricing for maize, rice feedstock - The HinduBusinessLine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43134-grain-based-ethanol-manufacturers-demand-dual-pricing-for-maize-rice-feedstock.md) | +1.4% | +6.9% |
| CORN | 2025-02-15 | [Feedstock economics and policy implications for India’s ethanol sector - The HinduBusinessLine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26056-feedstock-economics-and-policy-implications-for-india-s-ethanol-sector-the.md) | +0.2% | -7.9% |
| CORN | 2025-04-11 | [Grain-based ethanol has potential to boost farmers income by ₹35,000 cr, says report - The HinduBusinessLine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25103-grain-based-ethanol-has-potential-to-boost-farmers-income-by-35-000-cr-says.md) | +1.7% | -4.0% |
| CORN | 2025-07-28 | [Rate Difference in Grain-Based and Sugarcane-Based Ethanol Production Affecting Sector: Official – Outlook Business](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23740-rate-difference-in-grain-based-and-sugarcane-based-ethanol-production-affecting.md) | +0.5% | +0.7% |
| CORN | 2026-10-28 | [Indian distillers seek 9% corn ethanol price hike as feedstock costs surge \| World Ports Organization](https://feedsoft.ai/events/2890-indian-distillers-seek-9-corn-ethanol-price-hike-as-feedstock-costs-surge-world.md) | -0.5% | — |

## Sources

- thehindubusinessline.com: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/indias-ethanol-transition-can-grain-based-feedstocks-fill-the-gap-left-by-sugar/article71646593.ece

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.