NEW DELHI: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday described the backlash against petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) as a “paid campaign”. His remarks came a day after the government notified changes to motor vehicle rules allowing flex-fuel vehicles to run on blends containing up to 100% ethanol.Speaking at an event organised by industry body CII, Gadkari said the opposition to E20 had intensified about three months ago but had since subsided.“Three months ago, huge noise (khub halla) was made against the E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) fuel; now rage against E20 fuel is over…It was a paid campaign,” news agency PTI quoted Gadkari as saying.The government on Monday notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, permitting flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on fuel containing up to E100, or nearly pure ethanol.Gadkari has repeatedly advocated greater use of ethanol as part of efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. He said expanding the use of alternative fuels could help the country save valuable foreign exchange by cutting fossil fuel imports.
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What was E20 controversy about
The Centre’s nationwide rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) had triggered protests and political criticism earlier this year, with motorists raising concerns over reduced mileage and the compatibility of the fuel with older vehicles. Opposition leaders questioned the government’s decision to make E20 the standard fuel at petrol pumps across India in April 2025.The row escalated after attorney general R Venkataramani referred to E20 as an “experiment” during a Supreme Court hearing, saying its results would be known next year. The remark went viral, prompting renewed criticism of the policy.The Centre subsequently clarified that the attorney general was referring to ethanol supply volumes, not describing the E20 policy itself as an experiment. Venkataramani also told Reuters that his comments had been misunderstood.The government and automobile industry cited studies indicating that E20 does not significantly damage metallic engine components, while acknowledging that fuel efficiency and compatibility can vary across vehicles.
