New Delhi | Premium grades of petrol sold by state-run fuel retailers will continue to be supplied without ethanol blending, the government said on Thursday, adding that it has not taken any decision to increase ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20 per cent and there is no proposal to restore the supply of E0 or E10 petrol.
Premium petrol grades - Indian Oil Corp's XP100, Hindustan Petroleum's poWer100 and Bharat Petroleum's Speed100 - are not blended with ethanol because they are niche fuels containing specialised performance-enhancing additives and account for only about 0.5 per cent of total petrol sales, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said in written replies to questions in the Lok Sabha.
These grades of petrol cost around Rs 160 per litre compared to Rs 102.12 a litre for normal petrol, which is doped with 20 per cent ethanol.
Any decision to raise ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent will be taken only after detailed scientific and technical studies and consultations with automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutions, Gopi said.
He said public and private fuel retailers have been directed to supply petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol across all states and Union territories under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme. Ethanol-blended motor spirit with a minimum research octane number (RON) of 95 has been notified with effect from April 1, 2026.
The government, he said, has not received any widespread or substantiated complaints from vehicle manufacturers, automobile associations or consumer organisations regarding E20 fuel. Laboratory studies, field trials and operational data showed no widespread adverse impact on engine durability, performance or vehicle life.
More than 20 crore two-wheelers and over 3 crore petrol cars have been operating on higher ethanol blends without verified evidence of widespread engine failures attributable to ethanol blending, the minister said.
The government also said there was no proposal to revert to E0 or E10 petrol, citing the logistical costs of maintaining parallel nationwide fuel supply chains and its objective of transitioning to cleaner fuels.
"Having been scientifically validated and accepted by the automobile industry after extensive testing, there is no proposal to revert to E0/E10 petrol," Gopi said.
E0 means petrol with no ethanol, and E10 is fuel with 10 per cent ethanol. Currently, petrol with 20 per cent ethanol, called E20 (80 per cent petrol, 20 per cent ethanol), is sold across over a lakh petrol pumps in the country. Premium grade fuel is available at only select outlets.
"The objective of public policy is to move forward with a superior fuel, not return to an inferior standard," the minister said.
"Maintaining parallel nationwide supply chains for E0, E10 and E20 petrol across more than one lakh retail outlets would significantly increase logistics complexity, inventory and handling costs. Public policy must balance consumer convenience with energy security, environmental sustainability and farmer welfare."
Once a cleaner and scientifically validated fuel has been adopted, the objective is to move forward with better technology, not revert to an inferior standard, he added.
