No plan to bring back pure petrol as Centre backs E20 fuel in Parliament
The Centre has ruled out any proposal to return to ethanol-free petrol, reaffirming that E20 petrol is a safe, cleaner, and technologically advanced fuel. It also clarified that there is no decision to increase ethanol blending beyond 20%.
In a written reply in Parliament, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said the government’s policy is to adopt better and more advanced fuel technologies rather than revert to lower standards.
The government informed Parliament that India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending five years ahead of schedule. Ethanol blending rose steadily from around 12% in 2022-23 to 14.6% in 2023-24 and 19.2% in 2024-25, before reaching the 20% milestone during the November-June period of 2025-26.
It also clarified that E85 fuel, which contains 85% ethanol, is approved only for flex-fuel vehicles and is not part of the country’s regular petrol supply.
Highlighting the widespread adoption of ethanol-blended fuel, the government said more than 200 million two-wheelers and over 30 million petrol cars are currently running on E15+ and E20 petrol without any major issues.
Responding to concerns over fuel efficiency, the Centre said mileage depends on several factors, including driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and road conditions. While vehicles designed for E10 petrol may witness a marginal 3-5% drop in mileage with E20 fuel, the higher octane rating of E20 improves acceleration, ride quality, and overall engine performance.
The government also highlighted the economic and environmental gains from the ethanol blending programme. It said the initiative has helped India save nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in foreign exchange by reducing crude oil imports by around 316 lakh metric tonnes.
According to the Centre, the programme has also cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 952 lakh metric tonnes while ensuring payments of more than Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers across the country.
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