NDTV Fuel & Future Summit 2026: Deepak Ballani, Director General, Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), addressed what he said was a common misconception surrounding ethanol production, stating that claims of one litre of ethanol requiring around 10,000 litres of water do not reflect the water used during the distillation process.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the NDTV Fuel & Future Summit 2026, Ballani said that once sugarcane reaches an ethanol production facility, only around 3 to 5 litres of water are required to produce one litre of ethanol.
"One part I would like to address because this is also in media, in social media specifically, that is the entire process, this huge water usage," he said.
"Now, for example, if you talk about the water usage, once the sugarcane comes to the factory, the distillation factory, only about 3 to 5 litres of water is used to make one litre of ethanol. The talk about 10,000 litres, I don't know how it has come," Ballani added.
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His remarks came during a broader discussion on ethanol and biofuels, where panellists discussed the sustainability of expanding flex-fuel adoption across the country.
The discussion formed part of a wider conversation on the role of ethanol and biofuels in India's energy transition. The panel featured Joshua Wycliffe, Director, Global Biofuels Alliance, Vikram Gour, Founder and Editor, MotorScribes, and Deepak Ballani, Director General, Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA).