Claim of achieving the target of 20 percent ethanol blend in petrol

20-Jun-2025 12:42 PM

New Delhi. The Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister has stated that India has successfully achieved the target of blending 20 percent ethanol in petrol. This milestone was initially set for 2030, but has been accomplished six years ahead of schedule, in early 2025.

According to the Minister, this achievement has resulted in a savings of ₹1.50 lakh crore and has significantly contributed to promoting green energy. Ethanol is expected to play a major role in reducing the country’s dependence on petroleum imports.

The Minister highlighted that there were several challenges in increasing ethanol blending, but these were gradually overcome through focused efforts. Initially, the government aimed to supply petrol blended with 5 percent ethanol in 10 states and union territories.

However, this first phase did not succeed as expected. The next target was 10 percent ethanol blending by November 2022, which was achieved ahead of schedule in May 2022.

Following this, the target was raised to 20 percent blending by 2030. This, too, was achieved well ahead of time. In India, ethanol is primarily produced from sugarcane and food grains such as maize and rice.

The push for higher blending has not only saved on petroleum import costs but has also increased income for farmers by creating a stable demand for their produce.

With this achievement, India now ranks among the top countries in ethanol blending. After Brazil—where ethanol blending in petrol stands at around 26-27 percent—India has the highest level of ethanol blending in the world.

Ethanol production in India has also expanded from being solely sugarcane-based to large-scale production from maize and other grains.