Even as the furore continues, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said reports of customer problems with E20 fuel are a "misrepresentation", and stressed that the move to a higher E25 blend will only happen after tests are completed and discussed with automakers.
Dismissing the controversy around 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol, Puri said both car manufacturers and consumers have 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?" he said. "It is a misrepresentation and I don't want to use stronger words."
The Minister noted that India has been gradually increasing ethanol blending. "We have been using E15 for the last three and a half years. We have been on E20 since April of last year. From April 2025 to April 2026, it has already been one year, and we are now another five months beyond that," he said.
According to Puri, 20 crore two-wheelers and 20 lakh four-wheelers are currently running on ethanol-blended petrol. "The car manufacturers are comfortable with E20. Each one of them has made a statement to that effect. Consumers also appreciate the product," he added.On calls to move to E25, Puri said the government is not rushing the decision. "If someone is suggesting E25, we have made it clear that we are conducting tests.
Those tests will take time. Once the reports are available, we will evaluate them. Then we will discuss the findings with the stakeholders and the automobile manufacturers. After all, I neither manufacture the cars nor the fuel," he said.
The Minister also updated on E85 rollout, saying it has only just begun. "We have only begun the rollout of E85, and that rollout will take some time because new petrol pumps and related infrastructure need to be put in place," he said.The government is targeting 20 per cent ethanol blending nationwide under its Ethanol Blended Petrol programme to cut import dependence and support farmers. Puri maintained that the transition is proceeding in phases, based on technical data and industry feedback.
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