Bengaluru, Sept. 5 -- Growing demand for ethanol as an alternative fuel has triggered a fresh race to establish sugar mills in Karnataka, with 42 applications reportedly submitted to the Sugar Commissionerate seeking permission to set up new factories across the state.

Most of the applications are from the Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions, where sugarcane cultivation and the sugar industry have a strong presence. Belagavi tops the list with 13 applications, followed by Vijayapura with eight, Kalaburagi with six, and Bagalkot and Dharwad with four each.

The surge in applications comes at a time when the Union government is encouraging ethanol blending in petrol as part of efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and div...