- Bharat Petroleum clarified there is no proposal to replace E20 petrol with E10 fuel
- BPCL Chairman Sanjay Khanna denied misquoted remarks about switching from E20 to E10
- E10 petrol contains 10% ethanol, while E20 petrol contains 20% ethanol blend
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Khanna clarified on Thursday that there is no proposal to replace the existing E20 blended petrol with E10.
Khanna gave the statement while speaking to reporters after the company's annual general meeting, as BPCL sought to counter what it called a misquoted version of his remarks.
Shri Sanjay Khanna Chairman & Managing Director, BPCL said that there is no proposal to replace the existing E20 blended Petrol with E10, on Thursday after BPCL's AGM.
— Bharat Petroleum (@BPCLimited) August 27, 2026
His response is being misquoted to suggest as if E10 is being considered as an option, which is not correct.…
"I never said that E20 will be changed to E10," Khanna said, adding that what was actually being debated in some circles was whether older vehicles should have the option of a lower-ethanol blended fuel.
E10 petrol contains 10% ethanol and 90% petrol, compared with E20, which has a 20% ethanol blend.
Khanna said that while nothing had been finalised on changing the current fuel-blending regime, he saw no operational or logistical challenge for oil companies in switching supply from E20 to E10 if the government were to alter policy.
He noted, however, that a challenge would arise if E10 were introduced as an additional grade alongside E20, given the scale of India's fuel-distribution network of over one lakh petrol pumps, refineries, terminals, depots and pipelines.
In a post on X following the media call, BPCL reiterated that Khanna's comments were being "misquoted to suggest as if E10 is being considered as an option, which is not correct."
ALSO READ: CEA V Anantha Nageswaran Recommends Bringing Back E10 for Older Vehicles. Here's Why
The company said large-scale field experience from millions of vehicles running on E20 fuel for last few years had shown no evidence of engine damage or other concerns, adding that E20 helps reduce pollution, supports rural prosperity and saves foreign exchange. BPCL said it remains committed to the national ethanol blending programme and to ensuring fuel quality.
The clarification comes after the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently issued a factsheet rebutting claims circulating in media and on social media that vehicles manufactured before 2023 cannot run safely on E20 petrol, and that automakers had privately flagged the blend as undesirable.
The ministry's factsheet stated that E15-plus fuel has been in widespread use for over three-and-a-half years and E19-E20 fuel for over two-and-a-half years, with no verified reports of widespread engine failure attributable to ethanol blending during this period.
ALSO READ: Why Isn't E20 Cheaper Than E10 Or Pure Petrol? Government Explains
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.