Hardeep Singh Puri Defends E20 Petrol Rollout, Says E25 Decision Will Follow Extensive Testing: Report

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday defended the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, saying millions of vehicles have been using the fuel without any reported problems. He also clarified that the government would take a decision on introducing E25 petrol only after completing scientific studies and consulting stakeholders.

Speaking in Delhi, Puri was quoted as saying by ANI, "There are 20 crore two-wheelers on the road and 20 lakh four-wheelers using this fuel. The automobile manufacturers, as well as the people who service these vehicles, all say there is no difficulty."

Responding to concerns over ethanol blending, he questioned the timing of the criticism, saying, "Why this sudden interest? We have been using E15 (blend of 15 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol) for the last three and a half years."

"We have been on E20 (blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol) since April of last year. From April 2025 to April 2026, it has already been one year, and we are now another five months beyond that," he said.

Addressing suggestions that India should move to E25 petrol, Puri said no decision would be taken until the government completed its ongoing evaluation.

He added that any future transition would be guided by technical inputs from vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders.

E85 Rollout to Take Time

Puri also outlined the status of higher ethanol blends, saying the rollout of E85 fuel had only recently begun and would require supporting infrastructure before wider adoption.

"We have only begun the rollout of E85 (blend of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol), and that rollout will take some time because new petrol pumps and related infrastructure need to be put in place," he was quoted as saying.

India has already achieved 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol. Ethanol, produced from biomass such as sugarcane, corn and rice, is being promoted as a cleaner-burning fuel to reduce dependence on imported crude oil while helping lower carbon emissions.