The All India Distillers' Association (AIDA) will hold its Annual Distillers' Conclave 2026 on 24 March at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The event is expected to draw more than 300 participants from India's distillery, ethanol, and biofuel sectors, making it one of the more significant annual gatherings for the industry.
Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), will attend as Chief Guest. Representatives from the Embassy of Brazil in India, NITI Aayog, and the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry are also expected to be present. The participation of senior government officials alongside industry figures reflects the growing policy attention directed at the ethanol and bioenergy sector in recent years.
The agenda includes over 20 sessions across four tracks covering policy, technology, sustainability, and market strategy. Discussions will span a range of subjects including regulatory developments, next-generation distillation technologies, compressed biogas (CBG), green mobility, and capacity expansion. The format will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, and technical sessions. The conclave will close with an industry awards ceremony recognising contributions in distilling, ethanol production, and bioenergy innovation.
The event comes at a time when India is actively working toward its E20 ethanol blending target — a government mandate requiring petrol to contain 20% ethanol by volume. The distillery sector has been positioned as central to meeting that goal, with producers being called upon to scale up output across multiple feedstocks. Beyond blending targets, the sector is also expected to contribute to the government's broader decarbonisation agenda, which includes the promotion of compressed biogas and other waste-to-energy solutions.
Brazil, whose representative is among the expected attendees, has long been regarded as a global benchmark in ethanol production and blending policy. Its inclusion at the conclave points to an interest in drawing on international experience as India refines its own biofuel framework.
AIDA was established in 1953 and serves as the apex body representing ethanol producers, bioenergy manufacturers, and potable alcohol producers across India. Its members collectively account for more than 80% of the country's distillation capacity. Beyond representing industry interests, the association functions as a policy interlocutor for both the Union and state governments on issues such as feedstock pricing mechanisms, environmental compliance, effluent management, and interstate duty harmonisation.
As India's ethanol blending programme matures and new segments such as CBG gain ground, industry bodies like AIDA are increasingly involved in shaping the regulatory and commercial conditions that will determine the sector's trajectory over the coming decade.