India has decided to allocate 5.2 million tons of rice for ethanol production, trying to manage record stocks and support the ethanol blending program.

India is facing record rice stocks and has decided to divert a significant amount, 5.2 million tons, to ethanol production instead of imposing export restrictions. This is a change from previous years when the rice crisis led to export curbs. Ethanol production will help reduce the surplus and meet the goal of blending 20% ethanol into gasoline by 2025/26. The large rice stocks will allow India to increase its exports, with an estimated 22.5 million tons by 2025.