The minister’s remark comes a day after the government allowed flex-fuel vehicles to run on fuel with up to 100% ethanol
New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday that the anger against E20 petrol was a “paid campaign.” E20 is petrol mixed with 20% ethanol. He said the criticism had become very loud about three months ago, but that it has now died down.
Gadkari was speaking at an event organised by the industry group CII. “Three months ago, huge noise was made against the E20 fuel; now rage against E20 fuel is over,” he said, according to the news agency PTI.
What Changed on Monday?
A day earlier, the government had changed the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The new rules allow flex-fuel vehicles to run on fuel that has up to 100% ethanol. This is called E100, and it means nearly pure ethanol.
Flex-fuel vehicles are cars and bikes built with special engines. They can run on different mixes of petrol and ethanol. Reports say that unlike E20, fuels like E85 and E100 need these special flex-fuel engines. pages
Why Does the Government Want More Ethanol?
Ethanol is a fuel that is made from plants such as sugarcane and maize. Gadkari has asked for more use of it for a long time. He says it can help India depend less on imported oil and gas. If India buys less fuel from other countries, it can save a lot of foreign money.
What Was the E20 Fight About?
In April 2025, the government made E20 the standard petrol at pumps across India. Many drivers were not happy. They said:
- Their vehicles gave less mileage, meaning fewer kilometres per litre.
- Older vehicles might not work well with the new fuel.
Opposition leaders also questioned the government’s decision.
The argument got bigger when Attorney General R Venkataramani used the word “experiment” for E20 during a Supreme Court hearing. He said the results would be known next year. The remark went viral, and people criticised the policy even more.
The Centre later explained that the Attorney General was talking about ethanol supply amounts, not calling the E20 policy itself an experiment. Venkataramani also told Reuters that his comments were misunderstood.
What Do Experts and the Government Say?
The government and the car industry point to studies saying that E20 does not cause serious damage to the metal parts of engines. But they also agree that mileage and how well the fuel suits a vehicle can be different from one vehicle to another.
On mileage, the petroleum ministry has said earlier that the drop is about 1-2% for four-wheelers built for E10 and set up for E20, and around 3-6% for others. thewire
What Happens Next?
With the new rules, car and bike makers can now sell vehicles that run on much higher ethanol blends. Whether many people will buy them remains to be seen. Drivers will also want to know how easy it will be to find these fuels at pumps.
For now, Gadkari says the criticism has ended. But as the debate showed, many drivers still want clear answers about mileage, cost and whether their older vehicles are safe.
