India may be headed for a major fuel shift after Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the country should aspire to achieve 100% ethanol blending in the near future. His remarks come as energy security concerns rise amid the Middle East conflict.
The statement matters because India still depends heavily on imported oil, while the government is already pushing cleaner and cheaper alternatives. A move beyond E20 petrol could reshape fuel use, vehicle technology and India's import bill over time.
"In the near future, India should aspire to achieve 100 per cent ethanol blending... Today, we are facing an energy crisis due to the war in West Asia, so it is necessary for us to become self-reliant in the energy sector," Gadkari said at the Indian Federation of Green Energy's Green Transport Conclave.
ALSO READ: Government Mulls Push for Flex Fuel Vehicles; Stakeholder Meet Today: Sources
India currently allows vehicles to run on E20 petrol with minor engine changes to address corrosion and related issues. In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched petrol blended with 20% ethanol.
Countries such as Brazil have already moved to 100% ethanol blending, showing a possible path India may study as it expands biofuel use.
Import Bill
India meets 87% of its oil requirement through imports, Gadkari said. He added that the country imports fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore.
"We import fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore, which is also causing pollution... so we need to work on increasing production of alternative fuel and bio-fuel," he said.
The Road Ahead
Gadkari also backed green hydrogen as a future fuel but said costs need to fall further.
"Transport of hydrogen fuel is a problem. Also, we need to produce 1 kg of hydrogen at $1 dollar, to make India an exporter of energy," he said.
He added that petrol and diesel vehicles should be discouraged, but consumers cannot be forced to stop buying them.
With inputs from PTI.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
