In a country navigating the complexities of rapid industrialization and mounting environmental concerns, the demand for cleaner, cost-effective alternatives to fossil fuels is an imperative. Biofuels like ethanol are emerging as cleaner alternatives to petrol and self-reliant economy. However, securing reliable domestic sources of raw materials like broken rice, maize etc. and scaling visibility in a market now crowded with new ethanol ventures are growing concerns.
Pioneering India’s grain-based green ethanol production, Juststrive Industries combines zero-emission manufacturing with strategic byproduct utilization to deliver a closed-loop model of sustainable energy. Juststrive Industries, a first generation entrepreneurs came together starting with an aim and ambition of creating a zero carbon footprint environment.
Juststrive Industries is a bio-energy and sustainable solution startup focused on producing green ethanol and zero-discharge byproducts using food grains. Founded on a conviction that environmental sustainability and industrial innovation can and must coexist, the company takes on the dual pressures of ecological accountability and industrial output. It is in the final stages of commissioning its grain-based ethanol facility in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, a project that embodies its principle of zero discharge and total resource utilization.
“Odisha, being a surplus rice-producing state, ensures reliable access to broken rice, our key raw material, and the surrounding green belt further supports our goal of minimizing carbon emissions”, says Jashwanth Gummalla, Director, Juststrive Industries.
From Feedstock to Fuel
Juststrive Industries' decision to use broken rice and rice unfit for human consumption and often exported, is a response to a broader procurement inefficiency in India’s grain-based ethanol sector. Unlike molasses-based ethanol derived from sugarcane, grain-based production allows for more predictable raw material availability. The company’s early investments in location scouting and environmental clearances allow it to bypass the uncertainties faced by newer entrants, offering clients a level of operational continuity essential for long-term offtake agreements.
To that end, it has already secured a 10-year tri-party agreement with key oil marketing companies like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum, ensuring consistent offtake for its ethanol output. These supply contracts reduce risk for the company and assure buyers of a reliable, traceable, and compliant ethanol source.
Beyond Ethanol
The company integrates its operations into a web of green commercial by-products, creating an entire ecosystem of value. Every major by-product, be it CO₂, DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles), and fly ash, is captured and re-channelled into revenue-generating, environmentally compliant applications.
The CO₂ released during fermentation is captured and used to manufacture dry ice and serve food-grade applications. DDGS, rich in protein, is marketed as feedstock for aquaculture and livestock, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Even fly ash, often treated as industrial debris, is converted into eco-friendly fly ash bricks, providing a low-emission alternative to clay-based construction materials. The plant itself reflects the philosophy of full-loop utilization, where industrial water is recycled and reused entirely within the facility. No effluents reach groundwater or surface water systems, making the unit a zero-liquid-discharge facility.
Odisha, being a surplus rice-producing state, ensures reliable access to broken rice, our key raw material, and the surrounding green belt further supports our goal of minimizing carbon emissions
While ethanol remains the current focus, Juststrive Industries is not resting on its core product. A one-megawatt solar plant is already in development at the same location in Odisha, fulfilling EC compliance and intent to scale it in the further. Simultaneously, the company is exploring the production of Compressed Biogas (CBG) using crop waste, with the aim of offering a diversified energy portfolio. Its long-term ambition is to absorb as much of India’s domestically produced broken rice as possible, into national energy streams. The company also plans to foray into green ethyl acetate, a product widely used in pharmaceuticals and now being reimagined by it as a sustainably produced alternative. By integrating solar, CBG, and green ethyl acetate into its zero-discharge, CO₂- capture framework, Juststrive Industries' aims to be a one-stop provider of circular and sustainable energy solutions.
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