Misrepresentation: Hardeep Puri dismisses concerns over E20 fuel
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday dismissed concerns over 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20), calling reports of consumer
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday dismissed concerns over 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20), calling reports of consumer problems with the fuel a "misrepresentation." Puri said both automobile manufacturers and vehicle service providers have found no major issues with E20, while consumers have also accepted the fuel. "The automobile manufacturers, as well as the people who service these vehicles, all say there is no difficulty. Why this sudden interest? It is a misrepresentation and I don't want to use stronger words," he said.
Read Full Story HIGHER ETHANOL BLENDS IN PIPELINE Defending India's ethanol roadmap, Puri said the country had followed a gradual path, using E15 for over three years before transitioning to E20 in April 2025. He added that around 20 crore two-wheelers and 20 lakh four-wheelers are currently running on ethanol-blended petrol. Addressing demands for a faster transition to E25, the minister said the government would not rush the decision and would wait for technical assessments before moving ahead. "If someone is suggesting E25, we have made it clear that we are conducting tests.
Once the reports are available, we will evaluate them and discuss the findings with stakeholders and automobile manufacturers," Puri said. Puri said the transition towards higher ethanol blends would continue in a phased manner, based on technical studies and industry feedback. He also said the rollout of E85 fuel has only recently begun and would take time as additional petrol pumps and supporting infrastructure need to be developed. THE ETHANOL FUEL DEBATE The government has been pushing ethanol blending as part of its Ethanol Blended Petrol programme to reduce India's dependence on crude oil imports and provide an additional market for farmers.
However, the push has sparked a massive backlash, particularly from owners of petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023. They have reported worsening fuel efficiency, rising maintenance issues, and increased wear and tear. The government has acknowledged that E20 fuel could slightly reduce mileage, but said the trade-off is compensated by improved acceleration and better engine performance. Ends
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