Citizens Against E20 Petrol; Farmers Say Do Not Dump Policy

August

2026

On 1 Apr 2026, the Indian union government made E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) the norm in petrol pumps. The Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, claimed that India had reached its blending target five years in advance. When proposing E20, Gadkari said the blending would bring down fuel costs for citizens. However, despite the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's assurance that E20 was rolled out only after being tested for Indian vehicles, citizens continue to raise concerns about reduced mileage and long-term vehicle damage. Since ethanol retains moisture, the damage is to motor parts, besides vehicle owners experiencing a drop in mileage and vehicle pickup speeds. Motorbikes and cars sold after 2023 are E10 compliant; older vehicles are not. On 30 Jul, Gadkari informed the Parliament that E20 petrol can reduce vehicle fuel efficiency up to 6%, depending on the vehicle category and its age, but there is no damage to vehicles. Vehicle owners say the 6% figure is from ideal laboratory conditions, but on the ground the drop is up to 20%. On 27 Jul, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that the government had conducted 'no assessment' to determine how many vehicles in India were currently fully compatible with E20 petrol. Using the union government’s own data, an independent media house fact-checked the issue and found that since ethanol blending gained pace, consumers have had to shell out approximately USD 8.3B more between 1 Apr 2023–31 Mar 2026 to cover the loss in mileage of ethanol-blended fuel. However, Panjab's farmers are supporting the ethanol blending program, arguing that this initiative has become one of their sources of income and a tool to diversify the cropping pattern. This comes in the wake of Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal holding a national town hall against the plan to promote E20 petrol. The farmers' claim of marginal increase in income might be true, but the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, informed the Parliament on 29 Jul that the Food Corporation of India sold rice to ethanol distilleries at USD 23 per quintal between June 2025–June 2026, around 40% below its average procurement cost (earlier coverage).