India, March 31 -- From APRIL 1, oil marketing companies across India will be required to sell petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol, a mixture commonly known as E20. The government's stated aim is to curb crude oil imports and cut emis sions. Yet the strategy is increasingly being viewed as a double-edged sword: it not only has a mixed impact on emissions but, as a transitional fuel, may also detract attention from the transport sector's vital transition to zero-emission alternatives such as full electrification. This raises a critical question: rather than mandating progressively higher blends for internal-combustion engines, should ethanol be prioritised as an industrial feed- stock and fuel? Here is a hard look at the implicat...