Ethanol Blending Row: Gadkari Claims Petrol Lobby Behind Propaganda On E20's Impact On Mileage And Engine Life

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday (10 September) accused the petroleum lobby of orchestrating a campaign against the E20 fuel rollout, labelling it as propaganda fuelled by vested interests.

Speaking at the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) Auto Retail Conclave 2025 in New Delhi, Gadkari dismissed concerns over reduced vehicle mileage and potential engine damage as baseless claims sponsored by a 'rich and strong' petrol lobby.

"Everywhere there are lobbies, there are interests... the petrol lobby is very rich," Gadkari stated, responding to widespread social media criticism. He emphasised that the E20 blend, comprising 80 per cent petroleum and 20 per cent ethanol, has been rigorously tested and poses no harm to vehicles.

This comes days after the Supreme Court rejected a public interest litigation challenging the nationwide implementation of E20 petrol, affirming the government's policy.

Ethanol blending in India began in 2003, with progressive increases; the E20 target was advanced, progressively increasing it to E20, which was rolled out across India in 2025. Gadkari highlighted that the move aims to reduce India's dependence on imported fossil fuels, currently costing around Rs 16 lakh crore annually.

By promoting biofuels like ethanol derived from sugarcane and corn, the initiative supports farmers and cuts down on pollution, he added. In a related push, the minister revealed ongoing experiments with alternative fuels such as isobutanol for agricultural equipment.

Amidst the controversy, Gadkari reiterated the government's ambition to position India's automobile industry as the world's largest within five years. He pointed to the country's skilled manpower, presence of global automakers, and cost-effective manufacturing as key strengths.

The minister also encouraged the adoption of electric vehicles and flex-fuel engines, predicting that EVs will soon match petrol cars in affordability.