UP allows sugarcane-based ENA production

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the use of sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses for the production of rectified spirit and extra-neutral alcohol (ENA). This policy aims to enhance the availability of raw materials for the state's liquor industry.

As one of India's largest sugarcane and alcohol producers, Uttar Pradesh has a distillation capacity of over 16 billion liters, and will likely handle the increased demand without additional investments. The UP government also plans to divert 2.3 million tonnes of rice for ethanol production.

While the policy change may not significantly raise UP's revenues, it is expected to improve efficiency and stabilise liquor production, benefiting the state's whisky and Indian-made foreign liquor sectors.