Gautam Buddha Nagar, March 28 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday noted that the ethanol blending in petrol has helped India reduce its import dependence on crude oil.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Phase I of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, PM Modi expressed gratitude towards sugarcane farmers for aiding the 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol.

"The expansion of modern connectivity will give a boost to the potential of the food processing sector in Western UP, thereby facilitating access to global markets. I want to thank farmers, as the ethanol produced from your produce has helped reduce the country's dependence on crude oil. Had it not been for this blending with petrol, we would have had to import 4.5 ...