India’s maize output is estimated at a record 55.093 million tonnes in 2025-26, while government records list about 12.6 million tonnes for ethanol in each of two supply years, putting the fuel program alongside other demand for the crop.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued its third advance estimate May 27, 2026, projecting 55.093 million tonnes for 2025-26, up from 43.409 million tonnes a year earlier. The increase is 11.684 million tonnes. The figure remains an advance estimate rather than a final production total.
A Dec. 9, 2025, answer from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to the Rajya Sabha lists 12.575 million tonnes of maize as used or planned for use in ESY 2024-25, and 12.578 million tonnes for ESY 2025-26. It pairs those quantities with maize-based ethanol allocations of 4.778 billion liters and 4.78 billion liters. The wording combines utilized and planned use, so it does not distinguish how much maize had actually gone into ethanol.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said blending averaged 20% in ESY 2025-26 from November 2025 through June 2026. It put the procurement price for maize-based ethanol at ₹52.92 per liter in ESY 2021-22 and ₹71.86 in ESY 2024-25.
For the broader blending program, the ministry reported foreign-exchange savings above ₹1,44,087 crore and crude-oil substitution of about 24.5 million tonnes from ESY 2014-15 through ESY 2024-25, through July 2025. Those totals cover the program as a whole, not maize alone.
The Economic Survey calculates that maize output grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.77% between FY22 and FY25, while cultivated area grew at a 6.68% CAGR. It describes maize as joining pulses, oilseeds, soyabean, millets and cotton in competition for farmland, water and labor in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Survey identifies feedstock-specific administered prices and assured offtake as incentives intended to support farm income, but cautions that crop shifts could deepen edible-oil import dependence and increase food-price volatility during supply shocks.
The Consumer Affairs Ministry assessed supplies as sufficient for ethanol, poultry and other uses. It also said feed producers were adding rice bran, broken rice, bajra and wheat offal to their ingredient mix to help maintain availability.
In a 2023 report, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said farmers in Haryana and Punjab raised concerns about dependable markets and remunerative prices. Separately, ICAR identified access to inputs, machinery and procurement as important conditions for expanding maize cultivation.
