Wondering why pure petrol has disappeared from fuel stations? The government has now revealed why it has no plans to bring it back
The Centre has firmly rejected calls to bring back pure petrol or offer motorists a choice between fuel variants, asserting that E20 petrol is now India’s standard fuel and remains a cleaner, more sustainable alternative despite concerns over mileage and logistics. The clarification comes amid growing public debate over the nationwide rollout of ethanol-blended fuel.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said maintaining separate supply chains for E20, E10 and pure petrol would be logistically impractical and economically inefficient. It also maintained that E20 offers long-term benefits by reducing crude oil imports, lowering emissions and strengthening India’s energy security.
Centre says multiple fuel variants are not feasible
Responding to criticism over the transition to E20, the government said running parallel infrastructure for different grades of petrol across the country would significantly increase storage, transportation and distribution costs.
Officials stressed that India has already achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending, making E20 the standard petrol available at fuel stations nationwide.
Government defends E20 despite mileage concerns
The clarification comes after motorists and opposition leaders raised concerns over lower fuel efficiency, compatibility with older vehicles and the absence of pure petrol at retail outlets.
The Centre acknowledged that some vehicles may experience a 3–5% drop in mileage, but argued that the overall environmental and economic benefits outweigh the impact. According to the ministry, E20 helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cuts dependence on imported crude oil and supports domestic ethanol production.
Why E20 isn’t cheaper than pure petrol
Addressing another common concern, the government said E20 is currently more expensive to produce than pure petrol because of prevailing crude oil prices and ethanol procurement costs.
However, it maintained that the ethanol blending programme has saved the country substantial foreign exchange by reducing oil imports while improving long-term energy security.
Debate over E20 continues
The government’s clarification comes amid growing public scrutiny of the E20 rollout, with some motorists claiming reduced mileage and increased maintenance costs.
Despite the criticism, the Centre reiterated that there are no plans to reverse the policy, maintaining that E20 will remain India’s primary petrol variant as the country pushes towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation fuels.
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