India, July 17 -- On June 13 this year, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced the legal recognition of 100 per cent ethanol as a transport fuel, allowing vehicles to run entirely on the biofuel. The following month, Gadkari revealed that plans are underway to convert ethanol to isobutanol, a biofuel that can be blended with diesel. These an-nouncements are in line with India's effort to expand domestic ethanol production, with the twin aims of reducing crude oil imports and cutting carbon emissions, as set out in the National Policy on Biofuels.

India has already achieved its target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol in 2025. According to a June 12 statement by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Na...