Mumbai, Nov. 10 -- Four in five petrol pumps surveyed in Karnataka were selling fuel containing more than the permitted 20 per cent ethanol, according to Rizwan Arshad, the state's minister for food, civil supplies and consumer affairs. The findings have raised questions about compliance with India's ethanol-blending standards.
The state government sent 63 fuel samples collected from various districts to a certified private laboratory for testing. The decision followed a lack of response from oil marketing companies to a request for details about the ethanol content in the samples, Arshad said.
India's E20 programme, which blends petrol with 20 per cent ethanol, was accelerated in 2025 as part of efforts to reduce crude oil imports, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol producers. The fuel is now sold across the country's retail network, although opposition parties and vehicle owners have raised concerns about its effect on mileage and compatibility with older vehicles.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. The laboratory findings could increase scrutiny of fuel testing and monitoring at retail outlets, particularly as the government continues to expand ethanol use in transport.
Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in June that India would begin a phased rollout of petrol blended with 85 per cent ethanol, known as E85, for flex-fuel vehicles capable of operating with higher ethanol concentrations. However, junior oil minister Suresh Gopi said the following month that the government had no immediate plans to increase the ethanol content in petrol beyond the current 20 per cent level.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.