• Source:JND
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Amid the backlash over ethanol blending in petrol, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday rubbished the social media campaign, calling it a paid hit job by petroleum lobbyists against the government's push.

Gadkari said that the paid campaign against E20 petrol was targeted to stall the fuel transition due to the vested interest of these lobbyists.

While speaking at the 65th annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in New Delhi, Gadkari said, "Everywhere there are lobbies, there are interests… petrol lobby is very rich," adding, "This social media campaign was a paid campaign. It was against ethanol, and it was to target me politically".

Giving a reason behind the necessity of blending ethanol, Gadkari during 7th Auto Retail Conclave of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), said that the country imports 88 per cent of its crude oil needs, which is about Rs 22 lakh crore and ethanol blending can reduce this dependence.

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He said, "We have an import of ₹22 lakh crore. Is it not appropriate that we have to make in India with our own strength? We can stand on our own strength. So we are working on that,”

What is the E20 row?

In April 2025, the government expanded the rollout of E20 petrol (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) to the entire country. In April 2023, the rollout was limited to select fuel stations.

The E20 petrol is replacing E10 petrol with a 10 per cent blend. This initiative triggered a debate among consumers and experts in the sector. They have argued that ethanol blending could hurt the efficiency and longevity of the vehicles, especially those which are currently being used but are not E20 competent.

News agency PTI quoted experts saying that the ethanol-blended petrol could also cause a 2-5 per cent drop in mileage. The non-compliant and older vehicles could suffer wear and tear on fuel pipes, gaskets and hoses, they added.

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The ministry, on the other hand, has dismissed the claims of 'drastic efficiency' loss. On August 4, the ministry took to X and said, "Ethanol, being lower in energy density than petrol, results in a marginal decrease in mileage, estimated at 1–2 per cent for four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, and around 3–6 per cent in others."

(With PTI Inputs)