Controversy over claims of excess ethanol blending in petrol in South India, Centre and States face off

There is significant tension and protest in South Indian states regarding complaints and claims that commercial petrol contains more ethanol than the prescribed limit. Politics has heated up over this issue in Karnataka and Kerala, and fuel samples have been collected and testing has begun. The entire controversy began when the Karnataka government claimed that the ethanol content in petrol sold at some petrol pumps in the state was found to be between 26 percent and 31 percent, which is much higher than the prescribed limit.

According to reports from India Today, Dainik Bhaskar, Hindustan Times, and NDTV India on this matter, Karnataka's Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, Rizwan Arshad, stated in a press conference that these allegations are based on the testing of petrol samples collected from 7 districts, including Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru, and Tumakuru. According to Karnataka government data, if vehicle mileage decreases by 10 percent due to excess ethanol, vehicle owners across the country will suffer an annual loss of ₹62,000 crore. Additionally, they would have to bear an additional financial burden of ₹39,000 crore due to engine damage and frequent servicing.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also targeted the Central government by posting on the social media platform X. He wrote, 'E20 has now become 420, petrol is being stolen from the public's vehicles.' Rahul claimed that the Karnataka government had 14 samples taken from 7 districts tested in an accredited lab, out of which 11 samples were found to have an ethanol content of more than 20 percent. He also said that the consumer has no option.

In response to these claims, the Central government and state-owned oil companies have completely rejected the Karnataka government's claims. According to the Ministry of Petroleum, 893 samples of E20 petrol have been tested from 27 states and Union Territories of the country. All these samples were found to be within the prescribed limit of 19 to 21 percent. The average ethanol content in 56 samples taken from Karnataka was recorded at 19.30%. The ministry also refuted the claims that said there was 26 to 31 percent ethanol.

Public sector oil marketing companies - Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) also rejected the Karnataka government's claims, stating that the E20 petrol supplied across the country, including Karnataka, is as per the standard IS 17021 set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Questioning the state's investigation process, the oil companies said that this investigation was not conducted under the prescribed rules. The companies clarified that ethanol is heavier than petrol, whereas the density of the tested samples was recorded as low. They also stated that there are questions regarding the sampling process and methodology of the samples taken in October 2026, as there are clear rules for taking, securing, testing, and reporting samples in the 2005 government order and the 2024 Marketing Discipline Guidelines.

Regarding the samples of different companies in Karnataka, the report claimed that in lab tests, the highest ethanol content of up to 31.2% was found in IOCL petrol, while other samples had 20.8% ethanol. HPCL's Power petrol was found to have 30.5% and normal petrol 27%, BPCL's Speed petrol had 26.5%, and other samples had 24.2% and 22.6% ethanol. Furthermore, it was claimed that ethanol content was recorded up to 26.1% in Nayara petrol, 25.5% in Shell petrol, and 19.2% in MRPL petrol. Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad demanded that the Central government clarify to the public of the country what level of ethanol-blended fuel they are actually being provided.

This controversy has not remained limited to Karnataka but has also had an impact in the neighboring state of Kerala. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Kerala's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said on Monday that after the incident in Karnataka and receiving complaints of vehicle damage in Kerala, the government has ordered the start of random checks at petrol outlets in four districts. The minister told the media that it is the government's responsibility to address the public's apprehensions, and that is why these investigation orders have been issued.

In Kerala, random samples are being collected from various locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, and Kannur districts and are being sent to government labs, the results of which will be available in 10 days. Minister Anoop Jacob has warned that more than 20 percent ethanol is not permitted in fuel and any violation will lead to the sealing of petrol pumps and criminal proceedings will be initiated against those responsible. He recalled that according to the state's 2014 notification, under the Central Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Order, 2005, officials ranging from the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to Taluk Supply Officers are empowered to conduct inspections and take legal action. Amidst this entire sequence of events, concerns among consumers and vehicle owners regarding the safety of their vehicle engines have increased.