India’s corn plantings for ethanol have skyrocketed

9.8 million hectares of corn planted for biofuels in India in the summer of 2025, which is 17% more than in the same period last year, The Hindustan Times reported on August 17, citing official data.

According to the publication, in India, over the past five years, much more has been grown for the subsequent production of ethanol. This is facilitated by the government program. It ensures good demand for biofuels and the price of the corresponding agricultural products.

In particular, we are talking about corn. Farmers are switching to this product so often that it is called a “craze”, so that the area sown “has grown rapidly”. This summer, farmers set a new record.

“According to the latest official data, the total area [of corn] planted has increased to 9.8 million hectares, which is 17% more than in the same period last year. Its production is also growing rapidly. It increased by 11% in 2024-25, almost reaching a quarter of a million tonnes,” the report says.

It is noted that India achieved an important goal in July. All gasoline there is now diluted with 20% ethanol. This happened several months ahead of the deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2021 biofuel program.

The country produced 66 billion liters of ethanol during the 2024-25 financial year (starts in April). Of this, 25.5 billion liters are from various grains, and the rest are from sugarcane.

In the future, the country intends to increase ethanol production at the expense of corn. This was stated by a representative of the Ministry of Oil.

“The idea is that gradually the production of ethanol from sugarcane will stabilize, and grains such as corn will be used instead,” the publication quotes an unnamed source as saying.

India plans to increase corn production by 10 million tonnes over the next five years, partly to meet growing demand for ethanol and also for animal feed.

Tags: corn, India, ethanol