Consumer blasts ethanol-blended petrol policy, alleges vehicle damage and lack of choice
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As India accelerates its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme with a target of achieving 20% ethanol in petrol (E20) by 2025-26, public criticism is growing over its potential impact on vehicles and the perceived lack of consumer choice.
Venkatesh Alla, a user on X (formerly Twitter), has taken a strong stance against the policy, calling it “outright fraud” and threatening legal action if ethanol-blended fuel causes harm to his vehicle. He argued that mandating blended fuel without offering alternatives violates consumer rights and puts vehicles at risk, especially those not designed for such fuels.
“If anything happens to my vehicle due to Ethanol blended (Adulterated) Petrol, I will not hesitate to drag every single official in the Petroleum Ministry to court. We have every legal and constitutional right to do so,” Alla wrote.
Criticising the government’s handling of the policy, he said, “Forcing blended fuel on us, when our vehicles aren't even designed for it, is outright fraud. You have no authority to dictate what fuel we must use. Pure Petrol and Blended Petrol must be sold separately. Let the consumer decide based on their vehicle. Who the hell gave you the right to damage our vehicles in the name of policy?” He also tagged the Petroleum Ministry in his post.
The EBP Programme aims to reduce India’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and cut carbon emissions by incorporating ethanol, a biofuel, into petrol.
The initiative has made rapid strides, with ethanol blending reaching 12.06% in FY 2022-23 and 14.6% in FY 2023-24.
By February 2025, blending levels rose to 19.6%, eventually crossing the 20% milestone. In FY 2023-24, 7.07 billion litres of ethanol were blended into petrol, and oil marketing companies were allocated nearly 9.96 billion litres.
Despite the government’s green ambitions, critics like Alla argue the policy prioritises environmental targets at the cost of practical concerns for vehicle owners. In another post earlier this month, he accused Indian Oil of blending excessive ethanol into fuel, stating, “How much ethanol are you dumping into petrol?”
He added, “Car mileage has tanked for the past year! We're forced to pay full price for petrol that's 20% adulterated; this is nothing but an organised scam. The business and the government, both are acting like shameless thieves, looting citizens in broad daylight!”
