USGBC Leaders Attend U.S.-India Biofuels Summit 2026

Last week, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) hosted the U.S.-India Biofuels Summit 2026 in New Delhi to accelerate bilateral collaboration in the ethanol sector. The event was hosted in partnership with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

The Council was represented by a 16-person delegation, including USGBC Chairman Jay Reiners and USGBC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand. The remainder of the delegation was comprised of Council staff and members representing various portions of the U.S. ethanol value chain.

"Against a backdrop of shared commitments to energy security and rural economic development, the summit highlighted opportunities to scale ethanol production and technologies across both countries," Reiners said.

"Speakers and roundtable sessions discussed regulatory frameworks, technological advancements and supply chain innovations that can unlock investment opportunities and expand ethanol's global use."

The event drew U.S. and Indian leaders, researchers and industry partners to explore roadblocks to increased ethanol blending mandates, expanded uses of industrial ethanol in consumer products and the human and environmental health benefits of ethanol.

Sessions were conducted in a collaborative sense, with equal representation from the U.S. and India. On the sidelines, targeted roundtables maximized potential partnerships between the two countries on selected topics.

The opening session covered the future of on-road blending in the U.S. and India, discussing the Renewable Fuel Standard and India's recent achievement of reaching a nationwide 20 percent ethanol blend in gasoline.

Later sessions covered some of ethanol's additional uses, like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), clean cooking, biomanufacturing and sustainable marine fuel (SMF), that represent major market opportunities for producers while reducing carbon emissions for end-users.

Reiners delivered a closing statement and reinforced the U.S. ethanol industry's commitment to supporting India's development of biofuel adoption and integration.

After the summit, the Council's team held meetings with leading stakeholders in the country's energy and transportation sectors for additional conversations about overall market potential for ethanol in India.

"Mutual collaboration throughout the event helped identify actionable pathways for joint research and development, technology transfers and other partnerships that lower costs and increase throughput for fuel and industrial grade ethanol in all its diverse uses," Reiners said.

Learn more about the Council's work in India on the organization's website.