A panel of automobile and energy experts on Saturday defended India’s E20 ethanol blending programme amid growing public criticism, asserting that extensive testing has found no evidence that the fuel poses concerns for vehicles.
They also highlighted that ethanol is used in Formula 1 racing cars and argued that the transition to E20 followed years of scientific evaluation and regulatory approvals.
The experts made the remarks during a press conference on ethanol amid an ongoing debate over the government’s E20 petrol mandate and about its impact on vehicle performance.
The panel included former Engineers India Limited (EIL) CMD Vartika Shukla, Bajaj Auto Circle Head Manpreet Singh, TVS Senior Vice President (Corporate Affairs) Prashad Krishnan, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Country Head and Executive Vice President (Corporate Affairs and Governance) Vikram Gulati, Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti, Hyundai India representative Puneet Anand and Hero Moto representative Ashutosh Verma.
Former Engineers India Limited (EIL) CMD Vartika Shukla said ethanol blending did not happen overnight and noted that India achieved its E20 target in December 2025. She said the automobile industry carried out extensive testing before the rollout and added that the programme aims to reduce carbon emissions. She also said several countries, including Canada and Paraguay, already use E20 fuel and that E20 fuel complies with Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) standards.
operates under a strong regulatory framework and that fuel specifications are clearly defined. He said manufacturers engineer vehicles thoroughly before independent testing agencies approve them for consumers.
Calling ethanol “a very good fuel,” Gulati said some of the earliest cars introduced in the early 1900s ran on ethanol. He added that He said ethanol helps reduce carbon emissions and described the recent West Asia crisis as a wake-up call that exposed vulnerabilities related to energy supply and crude oil dependence.
Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti said India mandated E20 fuel from 2023 and acknowledged that the key concern relates to vehicles manufactured and sold before 2023. “That is the central question which needs to be addressed,” he said. However, Bharti added, “We haven’t found anything of concern in E20 fuel.”
Former Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) Chairman B Ashok also defended the programme in an interview with ANI. He said India’s ethanol blending programme has strengthened the country’s energy security, increased farmers’ incomes and reduced carbon emissions. Ashok added that scientific studies have found no evidence that E20 fuel damages vehicle engines or significantly affects mileage, describing many concerns surrounding E20 as misconceptions or exaggerated claims rather than scientific evidence.
The press conference came after the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a to what it described as misinformation circulating on social media about the country’s E20 ethanol blending programme.
The ministry rejected claims that producing one litre of ethanol consumes 10,000 litres of water. It said only surplus rice, cleared after meeting national food security requirements, is diverted for ethanol production. According to the ministry, ethanol distilleries consume around 3-5 litres of processed water for every litre of ethanol produced and increasingly operate Zero Liquid Discharge systems to recycle water.
The ministry also rejected claims related to engine damage, insurance invalidation and environmental harm, saying the E20 programme is backed by scientific studies, international experience and regulatory safeguards.The Ethanol Blending Programme was launched in 2003 to reduce crude oil imports, improve energy security and promote environmental sustainability. The programme progressed in phases through technical preparedness and stakeholder consultations before the rollout of 20 per cent ethanol blending from 2023 onwards.
The government’s E20 petrol mandate has triggered widespread debate and protests, particularly among owners of petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023. Many have reported lower fuel efficiency,
The debate over E20 has also extended beyond India. from Indian Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to switch to E20 fuel and has instead requested that India continue supplying conventional petrol for as long as it remains available in the Indian market. According to The Bhutanese, the decision was not based on concerns over E20 itself but on Bhutan’s existing fuel storage infrastructure. The report said the country has ageing underground fuel tanks, raising the risk of water seepage into stored fuel. A Bhutanese official cited this infrastructure-related concern as the primary reason for continuing with conventional petrol.