The government is currently preparing to approve ethanol blending beyond E20 for flex-fuel vehicles. Tarun Kapoor, an advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made a significant statement.

Preparations to increase the use of ethanol

The government is preparing to allow ethanol blending beyond the current E20 level to support flexi-fuel vehicles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's advisor Tarun Kapoor announced on Wednesday. The government believes that since domestic ethanol production is now exceeding current needs, the time is right to move beyond the E20 (20% ethanol blend) limit.

Addressing the fourth edition of 'The India Sugar and Bio-Energy Conference 2026' virtually, Tarun Kapoor said that the E20 program has been very successful so far, and several automobile companies have announced plans to launch flexi-fuel vehicles soon. He said, "Our focus now is on introducing flexi-fuel vehicles and allowing blending of up to a higher percentage than E20." He also said that the introduction of such vehicles will also require increasing the availability of pure ethanol at fuel outlets.

The aim of the new government policy

PM Modi's advisor further stated that promoting biofuels has become even more urgent amid the crisis in West Asia, which has disrupted supplies and pushed crude oil prices to nearly $100 per barrel, with further increases expected.

Since India imports more than 80% of its crude oil needs from abroad, the increase in crude oil prices at the international level is a matter of concern for India as it will increase the cost of imports, increase the dollar expenditure and increase the pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Now that the country's production capacity for ethanol from sugar and corn has increased, why not utilize this surplus? Flexi-fuel vehicles are the best way to use it.

What are flexi-fuel vehicles?

Currently, conventional vehicles on the road can only handle fuel up to a maximum of E20 (20% ethanol blend). Using more ethanol than this can damage engine parts. In contrast, flex-fuel vehicles have engines that can easily run on blends ranging from 20% to 85% or even 100% (pure ethanol). Sensors in these vehicles automatically detect the amount of ethanol in the fuel and adjust engine performance accordingly.

Regarding the recent criticism surrounding E20 blending, Tarun Kapoor said that much of it was either misinformation or targeted. He added that studies have shown that E20 performs well, and the slight reduction in fuel efficiency is offset by its higher octane content.