New Delhi, July 20 (IANS). The government has not yet taken any decision on blending more than 20 percent ethanol in petrol and any future decision will be taken after scientific study and discussion with the stakeholders. This information was given by Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
In a written reply in the Upper House, Gopi said, “At present, no decision has been taken to extend the target of ethanol blending beyond E20.”
He further said, “Any proposal to increase the level of ethanol blending will be decided only after extensive scientific and technical studies and discussions with automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutes.”
The Union Minister said, “India achieved its target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol five years ahead of schedule. After implementing it in a phased manner for more than two decades, the average level of ethanol blending in petrol has increased from about 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 20 per cent during the 2025-26 ethanol supply year.”
According to Union Minister Suresh Gopi, the ethanol blending program implemented since 2014-15 has brought significant economic and environmental benefits to the country.
This program has so far resulted in foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore, reduction in crude oil imports by about 316 lakh tonnes, reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by about 952 lakh tonnes and additional income of more than Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers.
On concerns raised over the performance of vehicles, the Minister said the government has not received any widespread or verified complaints from vehicle manufacturers, automobile associations or consumer organizations regarding problems like engine failure, fuel pump problems, rust or water mixing due to E20 fuel.
However, acknowledging the concerns raised in media reports and on social media, Gopi said that these have been scientifically tested.
He said, “More than 20 crore two-wheelers and more than 3 crore petrol cars, including many vehicles manufactured before E20 certification, have been using E15-Plus and E19-E20 fuels for the last two and a half to three and a half years. Despite this, there has been no verified evidence of large-scale engine failure or vehicle shutdown.”
Citing industry data, Gopi said a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer analyzed service records of 2.84 crore vehicles during the year 2025-26, including about 1.5 crore vehicles that were not certified for E20. The investigation found no evidence of any damage caused by the fuel. A leading two-wheeler manufacturer has also come forward with similar findings, he said.
–IANS
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