- E20 is a policy initiative, centre clarifies
- BIS has notified new fuel standards
A few media reports surfaced on 30 June, 2026, claiming that the learned Attorney General told the Honourable Supreme Court that E20 is an experiment, with reports of its impact set to be published next year. The office of the Attorney General has stated that these reports are false and completely out of line with court proceedings. Note that CarWale did not report anything pertaining to the E20 “experiment”.
A slew of these reports ignited debates across social media platforms. Ethanol blending is a national policy initiative, the government clarified. The current case on ethanol policies pertains to the allocation of ethanol to OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies), and not the ethanol policy itself. E20 is here to stay, and BIS has also notified blends up to E30. AG’s office also called for correct reporting on central policies.
As far as the E20 scenario in India goes, manufacturers have adapted to this standard, with Honda preparing itself well in advance. The BIS notification serves as a preparatory measure to shift to higher ethanol blends, given that any increment from the current baseline requires a change in components and ECU mapping. We have flagged the issue with ethanol rollouts earlier, stating that deploying compatible kits for existing non-compliant vehicles remains a challenge. Fuel economy also takes a hit. The way forward is to have parallel synergies - optimising ethanol rollouts, incentivising EVs, and passing cost benefits to the consumer.
