Fuel with over 20% ethanol found at four out of five petrol pumps in Karnataka

In the state of Karnataka, petrol containing ethanol exceeding the prescribed limit of 20% was being sold at four out of every five petrol pumps surveyed. Rizwan Arshad, the state's Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, provided this information on Friday. According to a BusinessLine report, these findings came to light after laboratory testing of fuel samples collected from various districts, raising serious questions regarding the adherence to India's ethanol blending standards.

Minister Rizwan Arshad stated that the state government had collected 63 fuel samples from various districts. As oil marketing companies did not respond to requests for details regarding the ethanol content in these samples, the government sent all these samples to a certified private laboratory for testing. It was only after this investigation that it was discovered that the ethanol content at most pumps exceeded the 20% limit.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the E20 petrol programme has been implemented by the Government of India with the objectives of reducing crude oil imports, decreasing pollution, and supporting local ethanol producers. Under this programme, blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol has been made mandatory. In the year 2025, the Government of India accelerated the process of implementing E20 petrol.

However, this fuel being sold across India's fuel retail network has been criticised by opposition parties and vehicle owners. They claim that higher ethanol content may affect vehicle mileage and could lead to compatibility issues with older vehicles.

Contradictions have been observed in the statements of Union Ministers regarding the proportion of ethanol. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated in June that India would launch 85% ethanol-blended petrol (E85) in a phased manner. E85 fuel is specifically for flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on high proportions of ethanol. However, just a month later, Junior Oil Minister Suresh Gopi clarified that the government currently has no plans to increase the proportion of ethanol in the petrol blend beyond the current 20%.

Reuters contacted the Government of India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas regarding the entire matter, but no immediate response was received from the ministry. Following this investigation in the state, discussions have now begun regarding fuel standards and the accountability of companies.