The National Sugar Institute (NSI), kanpur, and ICAR-Indian Institute of Corn Research (IIMR) Ludhiana, will work together to promote the production of ethanol from corn. Both institutes have already reached an understanding on the subject and will, according to the Indian Times, give a final form to the ambitious program.

According to Sujay Rakshit, director of ludhiana's ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, who visited kanpur's National Sugar Institute, corn is considered an important raw material for ethanol production.

"Of the total need for 1,016 million liters of ethanol to mix with gasoline by 2025, about 466 million liters should be obtained from rice and corn," said Narendra Mohan, director of the National Sugar Institute, as reported by the Indian Times.

Maize is the third most important cereal crop in India after rice and wheat in terms of area and production. However, to provide paid employment and double farmers' incomes, it has a greater potential than rice and wheat. It is now being used for bioethanol production, Professor Mohan said.

Speaking about the ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Sujay Rakshit reported that the institute, in addition to crop breeding, is also involved in developing climate-resilient/site-specific technologies to improve production and protection practices.

Source: RPA news