On the 28th & 29th of July 2022, the 80th Annual Convocation of The Sugar Technologists Association of India was held at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Rural Development, praised the sugar industry's efforts in carrying forward the Government of India's policies, which resulted in the targeted 10% ethanol blend in petrol.
“We are now not only producing "Atmanirbhar" sugar but also exporting it to other countries, she explained. However, she added, "we must work from farm to factory to improve productivity and ensure that the benefits are distributed to all stakeholders," she added.
Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary (Food & Public Distribution), Government of India, suggested that the Indian Sugar Industry develop a product portfolio in order to capitalize on the potential of the entire sugarcane value chain. Many other value-added products can be made from sugar industry by-products, and the industry must work on new technologies to develop them in the future in order to generate more revenue streams and reduce reliance on sugar revenues. We need to develop a "Self-Sustainable" model to meet the captive sugar requirement while also meeting the ethanol requirements for 20 percent blending, he said.
The Indian government is working on a blueprint for India @ 2047, a vision plan to make India one of the world's top three economies and bring it closer to a developed nation status by the country's 100th anniversary of independence. The plan will establish specific targets for various economic sectors, including the sugar industry, for which a vision plan is required, according to Shri Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary (Food and Public Distribution).
More than 1000 delegates from across the country and abroad attended the convention. The convention also includes 78 companies involved in the manufacture and supply of sugar and ethanol plant machinery, sugarcane harvesting equipment, and technology providers. Given the importance of ethanol, one session has been set aside to discuss ways and means of transforming the Indian sugar industry into a bio-energy hub.
During the inaugural session, in his address, Chief Minister, Goa complimented The Sugar Technologists Association of India for organizing the convention at Goa which will inspire the sugarcane farmers of the region and in the revival of the old sugar plant.
He lauded the role of scientists in transforming the sugar industry to a greater extent and making it viable at present. Technology is going to be the solution for many of the problems and the sugar industry should have a forward-looking approach, he said.
Prof. Narendra Mohan, Director of the National Sugar Institute, and Sanjay Awasthi, President of the Sugar Technologists Association of India, also spoke at the convention. Various awards, including the Industry Excellence Award, the Noel Deerr Gold Medal, the ISGEC Gold Medal, the STAI Silver Medal, and the Pravaasi Bhartiya Award, were also given to companies and individuals for their outstanding contributions to the Indian sugar sector.
