India, June 11 -- Government Extends Excise Duty Relief on Ethanol-Blended Petrol: The Centre has kind of doubled down on its ethanol-blending game plan, extending central excise duty exemptions to petrol that has more ethanol mixed in. As per a June 10 notification, petrol blended with 22%, 25%, 27%, and 30% ethanol will keep getting a nil excise duty rate, as long as the fuel matches Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications. It looks like ethanol is no longer just a secondary add-on fuel but, increasingly, a real pillar in India's long-term energy strategy.

This decision comes at a time when policymakers are trying to balance energy security, environmental targets, and the reality that global crude oil prices can swing significa...