This article is sponsored by Balrampur Chini Mills Limited.

This story didn’t begin with a factory or a formula. It began with an impassioned question: What if the future of plastic didn’t come from oil but from something we’ve always grown with care? In the heart of Uttar Pradesh, that question took root—in the hands of a new leader, among fields of sugarcane, and within a legacy built not just on business, but belonging.

It wasn’t born in isolation. It grew from someone who had spent years watching sugarcane shape lives—not just as a crop, but as a culture, a livelihood, a lifeline.

What if your sugarcane juice came in a bottle made from… sugarcane?

That’s where Balrampur Bioyug comes in—a bold new answer to an old question.

India’s first PLA bioplastics brand, Balrampur Bioyug, was formally launched on 27th May in Mumbai by Hon’ble Maharashtra CM, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis.

India’s first fully integrated PLA bioplastic plant, which will be commissioned in October 2026, will transform sugar derived from sugarcane into poly lactic acid, which is a bioplastic from crop to resin, all in one place, powered wholly by renewable energy.

What if the answer to plastic pollution was growing in our fields all along?

On any given day in rural India, sugarcane is everywhere—stacked high on bullock carts, crushed at roadside juice stalls, and swaying in fields that stretch to the horizon. It’s a crop that fuels more than thirst; it powers livelihoods, festivals, and local economies. But in an era where sustainability is no longer optional, sugarcane is beginning to tell a new story — one that goes beyond sweetness, into science, innovation, and circular solutions. What if this humble crop could also help solve one of India’s biggest environmental problems?

India is the world’s second-largest producer of sugarcane, cultivating over 400 million tonnes annually across nearly 5 million hectares of farmland (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, 2023). For millions of farmers — especially in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka — sugarcane is more than just a cash crop. It is a vital source of income, tied closely to the rural economy, employment, and agrarian livelihoods.

But sugarcane’s potential doesn’t end at jaggery, sugar, or juice. Each harvest also produces vast quantities of agricultural residue — bagasse, molasses, and press mud — that often go underutilised. In a country simultaneously battling mounting plastic pollution and looking for climate-resilient circular economy solutions, these byproducts offer an untapped opportunity.

At the same time, India is grappling with a serious waste management challenge. The country generates over 5 million tonnes of single-use plastic waste each year, much of which remains non-recyclable and persistent in the environment (Source: UNEP, CPCB). As global and domestic regulations tighten around plastic use, the demand for viable, biodegradable alternatives is not only growing — it’s essential.

Against this backdrop, Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) — one of India’s largest integrated sugar producers — is rewriting the role of sugarcane in India’s sustainability journey. With the launch of the brand ‘Balrampur Bioyug’ on 27th May 2025, India’s first industrial-scale PLA (polylactic acid) biopolymer plant and powered by renewable energy, which will be commissioned in October 2026, BCML will be transforming sugar from sugarcane into fully compostable, bio-based plastic.

This would be the best alternative to the banned single-use plastic items and other applications across industries like packaging, bio-medical, food service ware and more. Located in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh, this initiative marks a critical step in aligning agriculture, industry, and sustainability at scale.

“We haven’t just unveiled a brand — we launched a transformative movement. Bioyug, symbolising ‘The Era of Bio-Circularity’, marks a pivotal step in India’s transition to a bio-based, low-carbon economy,” shares Avantika Saraogi, Executive Director of Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML)

What began as a staple crop for the kitchen table will now be poised to become a building block for the packaging of the future — one that biodegrades naturally, reduces fossil-fuel dependence,........

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