No Decision Taken To Increase Ethanol Blending In Petrol

The Government today said that no decision has been taken to increase ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20 percent. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said that any future decision regarding higher ethanol blends will be taken only after detailed scientific and technical studies and consultations with all relevant stakeholders. Mr Gopi clarified that E20 is not a new or suddenly introduced fuel.

He said that ethanol has been used as a transport fuel globally for over a century, and India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme commenced with a pilot in 2001.

The Minister said that the transition to E20 has been phased, calibrated and evidence-based, with blending increasing progressively from 1.53 percent in 2013-14 to 20 percent in 2025-26 after scientific evaluation and stakeholder consultations. The Government’s objective is to move forward with a scientifically validated and superior fuel, not revert to lower blends. (UPDATED ON 20TH JULY 2026)