NEW DELHI: The controversy over E20 petrol has taken a contemporary flip after chief financial adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran argued that lower-ethanol gas corresponding to E10 needs to be made accessible for older automobiles, whilst authorities officers keep that there’s at present no plan to deliver E10 again to gas stations.Nageswaran’s place has added weight to calls for from automobile house owners and political leaders who’ve been in search of a lower-ethanol possibility since E20 turned the one petrol variant accessible at gas pumps from April 2026.
What did the CEA say
In an opinion piece, Nageswaran and division of financial affairs advisor Akash Poojari argued that older automobiles want safety whereas the trade works on making them suitable with larger ethanol blends.The article acknowledged that there isn’t a sturdy proof of widespread engine injury from E20, however pointed to a particular concern involving older automobiles. India has an estimated 75 to 80 million older two-wheelers, a few of which have rubber seals that weren’t designed to deal with larger ethanol content material.“India has roughly 75 to 80 million older two-wheelers … older rubber seals that aren’t rated for ethanol are a separate drawback … retrofitting these seals… that method will take years,” the opinion piece mentioned.The authors mentioned the federal government ought to “defend the present fleet whereas the retrofit programme catches up,”.The argument has successfully revived the query of whether or not motorists with older automobiles ought to have the choice of shopping for E10, which accommodates 10% ethanol, alongside E20, which accommodates 20% ethanol.
Govt says no E10 plan for now
Regardless of the CEA’s suggestion, officers coping with the ethanol coverage mentioned there may be at present no dialogue inside the authorities to reintroduce E10 at gas stations.Officers mentioned bringing again a separate lower-blend petrol would require further infrastructure and will create problems over pricing, storage and distribution. Additionally they pointed to the massive ecosystem that has developed across the authorities’s 20% ethanol mixing programme.One official mentioned the federal government had already acknowledged final month that there was no proposal to deliver again lower-ethanol variants corresponding to E0 or E10.One other official argued that providing E10 might be interpreted as an admission that E20 is unsuitable for older automobiles, one thing the federal government doesn’t settle for.“Additionally, permitting the sale of E10 would imply govt is accepting E20 petrol is just not good for older automobiles which isn’t the case. Research have proven E20 doesn’t trigger any mechanical points,” mentioned one other official.Which means that, regardless of the CEA’s name for a lower-blend possibility, there isn’t a authorities choice at current to make E10 accessible once more.
Why E20 has turn into controversial
E20 is petrol containing 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The federal government has promoted larger ethanol mixing as a solution to cut back crude oil imports, save overseas change and enhance India’s power safety. India additionally achieved its 20% mixing goal forward of the unique 2030 deadline.Nevertheless, the nationwide shift has generated considerations amongst some automobile house owners, notably these with older automobiles. The commonest criticism has been decrease gas effectivity, whereas some motorists have additionally raised considerations about gas strains, seals and different elements.The problem gained additional consideration after senior executives from main vehicle corporations privately raised considerations about contamination in E20 gas. The considerations have been subsequently adopted by a wider public debate over the compatibility of older automobiles with the gas.On the similar time, the federal government and vehicle trade have maintained that accessible testing doesn’t present widespread mechanical injury from E20. Automakers have additionally mentioned that older automobiles can function on E20, though gas effectivity might be affected.
Political row intensifies
The most recent debate has additionally given the opposition contemporary ammunition, with Samajwadi Occasion chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioning the federal government’s place on E20 after experiences of Nageswaran’s suggestion emerged.In a put up on X, Yadav shared an image citing the CEA’s reported remarks and requested, “Who is correct: the federal government or the adviser?”“E20 petrol is damaging automobiles. The sale of E10 petrol ought to begin once more for previous two-wheelers,” learn the image shared by Yadav.Yadav mentioned motorists who consider their automobiles have developed issues after utilizing E20 are being left to hunt assist, whereas the federal government continues to keep up that there isn’t a situation with the gas.He additionally questioned why the federal government was in a roundabout way in search of suggestions from automobile house owners who’ve reported issues.Calling E20 a “double-edged sword”, Yadav mentioned it was making a “double burden” for shoppers by way of petrol prices and better automobile upkeep bills.Earlier, Lok Sabha chief of opposition Rahul Gandhi mentioned Congress will quickly take up the problem of the Centre’s E20 ethanol-blended gas programme.In a social media put up on X, Rahul shared a video and accused the federal government of “stealing instantly out of individuals’s pockets”.“This E20 situation is a really severe matter. Normally, we are saying, ‘Daal mein kuch kaala hai.’ However right here, the entire daal is black,” the Congress chief mentioned.“Brothers and sisters, it is a matter of priorities. In any marketing campaign, we now have to resolve the order by which points are taken up. The issue proper now could be that there’s a lot corruption that there’s a lengthy record of points we now have to prioritise. However don’t be concerned. We’ll take up the E20 situation in an enormous method as a result of it’s damaging individuals’s vehicles and scooters and their lives and is, fairly actually, stealing cash instantly out of their pockets,” he added.
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The larger coverage query
The rapid query is just not whether or not the federal government has determined to deliver E10 again. It has not. The problem is whether or not it’ll finally take into account giving house owners of older automobiles a alternative between completely different ethanol blends.The CEA’s intervention has introduced that query again into focus at a time when E20 is already the usual petrol accessible throughout the nation. The federal government, nonetheless, continues to defend the broader ethanol programme on the grounds of decrease crude oil dependence, diminished emissions and larger power safety.For now, the positions stay completely different. Nageswaran’s opinion has referred to as for cover of the present older automobile fleet, whereas officers say reintroducing E10 can be troublesome and isn’t into account at current.
