New Delhi: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has defended the government's rollout of E20 petrol, dismissing the controversy over the ethanol-blended fuel as a "misrepresentation" and asserting that neither automobile manufacturers nor consumers have reported problems with its use in an interview with NDTV on July 8.
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Responding to claims circulating on social media that E20 damages vehicle engines, lowers mileage and attracts pests, Puri questioned why the issue had surfaced now, when the fuel has been in the market for over a year.
"There are 20 crore two-wheelers on the road and 20 lakh four-wheelers using this fuel. The automobile manufacturers, as well as the people who service these vehicles, all say there is no difficulty. Why this sudden interest?" the minister said. "It is a misrepresentation and I don't want to use stronger words," he added.
Puri said the transition to higher ethanol blends had been gradual and backed by industry. "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.
The minister said responsibility for vehicle compatibility rested with manufacturers, who had endorsed the fuel. "The car manufacturers are comfortable with E20. Each one of them has made a statement to that effect. Consumers also appreciate the product," he said.
On suggestions that India move to E25, Puri said the government would not rush the decision and would wait for ongoing technical evaluations. "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.
On E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petrol, the minister said the rollout had only just begun and would take time to scale. "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 Centre has expanded ethanol blending in petrol as part of a strategy to cut dependence on imported crude oil, lower vehicular emissions and raise farm incomes by increasing demand for feedstocks such as sugarcane and maize.
The minister's remarks follow a week in which the E20 debate spilled from social media onto the street. As Energy Watch reported earlier, seven of India's largest automakers — including Maruti, Toyota, Hyundai and Hero — issued statements on July 4 declaring E20 safe and rigorously tested. A day later, motorists gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for the fuel's first street protest, under the banner "Hamaari Gaadi, Hamaara Adhikaar," alleging poor mileage, engine trouble and rising repair bills.
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The protesters' central demand was not to scrap E20 but the right to choose the fuel that goes into their tanks — a grievance the government's technical assurances have so far not addressed.
