Goa, June 14 -- India has taken a major step toward cleaner transport and reduced oil imports by approving a regulatory framework that allows vehicles to run on 100% ethanol (E100) as legal vehicular fuel. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced on Saturday that he has signed the necessary documents, enabling pure ethanol's legal use in vehicles across the country.

This approval clears the statutory process required for the commercial rollout and formal standardisation of E100 fuel nationwide. The move is part of the Centre's broader strategy to reduce India's heavy dependence on imported crude oil by expanding biofuel adoption in the transport sector.

The new policy goes beyond existing fuel-blending targ...