The Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE), Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA), National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF) and All India Distillers Association (AIDA) jointly issued the “Goa Call to Action/Goa Pledge” at India Energy Week 2026.
The Call to Action was formulated based on deliberations at the Roundtable Discussion “Future of Mobility – Way Forward (E20 & Beyond),” held as an official side event during India Energy Week 2026, reaffirming the sector’s collective commitment to accelerating India’s clean energy transition and supporting the global Belém 4× Pledge to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035.
“The Goa Call to Action is not just a statement of intent, it is a collective commitment,” said Deepak Ballani, DG, Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA). “India has an opportunity to shape a globally relevant, inclusive energy transition model, and the industry stands ready to partner in delivering it.”
The industry noted that recent Expressions of Interest indicate ethanol availability significantly exceeding current E20 requirements, reinforcing the need for policy frameworks that enable higher ethanol utilisation and long-term market stability.
Expanding on the broader significance of the initiative, Dr Pramod Chaudhari, Founder Chairman of Praj Industries Limited, stated:
“India’s biofuel journey has shown what is possible when policy vision and industry execution move in tandem. The signing of the Goa Call to Action at India Energy Week 2026, India’s premier energy platform, is both timely and significant. The coming together of ISMA, IFGE, GEMA, NFSCF and AIDA reflects a maturing and increasingly aligned bioenergy ecosystem. As India moves beyond E20, the next phase must be anchored in demand creation through flex-fuel vehicles, rational taxation, and diversification into hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and diesel economy. Biofuels are not merely a transition fuel, but a strategic pillar for India’s energy security, rural prosperity, and net-zero ambitions.”
A central pillar of the Goa Call to Action is the strategic role of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) as a demand anchor for bio-ethanol, drawing on international experience where FFVs have enabled sustained, consumer-driven adoption of higher ethanol blends.
“Flex-fuel vehicles, which consume up to 100% carbon neutral bioethanol, provide a practical and immediately deployable solution to address the environmental issues related to the transport sector. This not only diversifies India’s sustainable energy mix but also strengthens and gives impetus to energy security, supports rural livelihoods, enhances farmer incomes, and creates jobs across the biofuel value chain. This reinforces the Goa Call to Action’s emphasis on positioning biofuels at the core of India’s vision for Viksit Bharat goals,” said Sanjay Ganjoo, DG, Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE).
The declaration also highlights the importance of rational and technology-agnostic taxation aligned with lifecycle carbon performance, ensuring that cleaner fuels and powertrains are not disadvantaged during early market adoption. Industry leaders underscored that calibrated GST and state-level measures, including road-tax waivers, can provide near-term momentum while broader reforms are undertaken.
The Goa Call to Action further calls for effective differential pricing for higher ethanol blends, noting that pricing remains a critical enabler for consumer uptake beyond E20. Harmonising taxation for higher blends would allow ethanol’s environmental benefits to translate into real value for end users.
Looking ahead, the industry emphasised that biofuels must be embedded within India’s Net Zero architecture through a robust lifecycle carbon accounting mechanism. The proposed “BharatBio” framework, as a compliance-based extension within the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), can provide a structured pathway to quantify, certify, and monetise bioethanol’s emissions benefits, ensuring that clean fuel substitution translates into measurable climate value.
While road transport will remain the primary anchor for ethanol demand, the declaration emphasises that biofuels must move firmly into the mainstream of India’s clean energy architecture, alongside diversification into sustainable aviation fuel, maritime applications, and decentralised power solutions aligned with infrastructure readiness and regional needs.
“Biofuels are not a transitional afterthought; they are central to the country’s long-term decarbonisation pathway,” said Niraj Shirgaokar, President, Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA). “With ethanol supply capacity in place, the emphasis must now be on calibrated demand expansion and regulatory alignment. The Goa Call to Action presents a clear pathway to consolidate gains achieved under E20 and responsibly scale beyond, to make biofuels mainstream.”
Concluding the joint statement, the associations reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration with the Government of India, state governments, industry partners, and civil society to scale sustainable biofuels in support of India’s Viksit Bharat goals of 2047 & Net Zero by 2070 objective and the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
