India's Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Dismisses E20 Fuel Issue Claims

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said reports of customer problems with E20 ethanol‑blended petrol are a “misrepresentation”. He said automobile manufacturers and vehicle service providers have reported no difficulties and that the fuel enjoys broad acceptance among consumers. About 20 crore two‑wheelers and 20 lakh four‑wheelers are currently running on E20.

India has been using E15 for the past three and a half years and introduced E20 in April 2025. The government plans to keep the blend at 20 % ethanol to cut fuel‑import dependence and support farmers. Any shift to a higher E25 blend will only be made after technical tests are completed and the results are discussed with automakers and other stakeholders.

The rollout of E85 (85 % ethanol, 15 % petrol) has just begun and will require new dispensing infrastructure before wider adoption.