India's controversial mandatory rollout of E20 petrol has come under renewed scrutiny after a series of public complaints, political criticism, and viral social media posts incited fresh debate over the ethanol blending programme. Manufacturers like Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, and Hero Motocorp have even publicly defended the E20 policy.
The heightened backlash began early last week after Attorney General R. Venkataramani described India’s ethanol blending programme as an "experiment" during a court hearing, saying its results would only be known next year. Though the government later denied that the remark referred to the E20 policy and Venkataramani clarified that he was speaking about ethanol supply volumes rather than the fuel itself, the comments have fuelled an already growing backlash.
Auto manufacturers express support for India’s ethanol blending programme
No E20-related issues recorded in non-compliant so far, the manufacturers claim
At a government briefing held on July 4, several automotive manufacturers and industry representatives mounted a coordinated defence of the ethanol blending programme. Maruti Suzuki's Senior Executive Officer for Corporate Affairs, Rahul Bharti, acknowledged the key concern of E20's impact on E10-compliant and older vehicles.
"India mandated E20 from 2023 for material compliance, and before that it was E10. Obviously, after 2023 both the cars and the fuel are mandated for E20," he said. For perspective, E20 compliance was mandated as part of Bharat Stage 6 Phase 2 regulations, which went into effect from April 2023 onwards.
However, Bharti claimed that Maruti Suzuki had tested older E10-compatible vehicles on E20 and found no significant concerns related to wear, corrosion, or component durability. "As a manufacturer we have tested E10 cars, which were prevalent before 2023, on E20 fuel for all parameters, and we have not found anything of concern," stated Bharti.
Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Verma concurred with Bharti's statement, confirming that analysis of crores of service records had not found a higher incidence of vehicle damage in vehicles running on E20 compared with earlier fuel blends. Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, added that the auto industry features highly stringent regulations, and that vehicles and fuels are put through extensive testing, certification, and homologation before reaching customers.
Gulati also said that ethanol is a cleaner, high-performance fuel that helps cut vehicle emissions and reduces India's dependence on crude oil imports. Former Engineers India chairman and managing director Vartika Shukla echoed Gulati, stating that the transition to E20 was carried out via a phased, scientifically driven process involving auto manufacturers and testing agencies. She noted that ethanol blending had increased from around 1.5 percent in 2013-14 to 20 percent by December 2025, achieving the government's target five years ahead of schedule.
Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri remarked at a separate briefing on July 2: "They use it [ethanol] in racing cars also, the acceleration increases. Mileage, yes, it may drop a little." Puri’s comments are not germane to public concerns at all, as race cars use ethanol solely for performance, and the mileage drop is the central pain point for the overwhelming majority of vehicle owners. Race car engines are also designed to take full advantage of ethanol and are frequently rebuilt, with the latter residing completely outside the realm of reason for the average motorist.
Toyota attributes Innova Hycross issue to fuel contamination
The Hycross in question belonged to Manoj Kashyap, a Bihar-based content creator
Motorists across India have emerged in droves online to voice concerns over reduced fuel efficiency, vehicle performance, and the long-term complications of using E20 petrol. A recent video posted by Bihar-based content creator Manish Kashyap gained immense traction on social media, showing his Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid at a service centre after it reportedly developed engine vibration and knocking issues at around 12,000km.
Kashyap blamed the issue on E20 petrol, criticised Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari (a major proponent of the ethanol-blending programme), and argued that consumers should have the option of purchasing unblended petrol. Responding to Kashyap's viral claims, Toyota said it conducted an investigation on the damaged Innova Hycross and found no link between the car's fault and E20 petrol, and that the culprit was actually contaminated fuel.
"Based on our detailed technical assessment of the vehicle, the issue was due to fuel contamination," Toyota noted in its statement. The Japanese carmaker said its technicians drained and cleaned the fuel tank and lines before refilling the vehicle with standard E20 petrol. Following the procedure, the Innova Hycross was found to be operating normally and was returned to Kashyap.
"The incident is not related to E20 fuel usage and was solely caused by non-standard and contaminated fuel," Toyota added, advising customers to refuel only at authorised and reputed fuel stations. Contaminated fuel is a legitimate issue across the country and is compounded further by the introduction of E20, as fuel-related damage in vehicles becomes more difficult to pin down – ethanol is hygroscopic in nature, which means it can draw moisture from air and rot plastic and rubber components in the fuel system, especially in non-compliant vehicles.
Opposition voices disapproval of E20 policy implementation
Hundreds showed up to an anti-E20 protest in Delhi
Despite the industry's defence, criticism surrounding the ethanol blending policy continues to grow in the political arena. Opposition leader Priyank Kharge argued that the rollout lacked adequate consultation and that the government could not dismiss consumer concerns while its own assessment remained pending. Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla staged a protest against the mandatory E20 rollout at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 5, which was attended by hundreds of aggrieved motorists.
The government, meanwhile, has continued to back E20, saying the fuel reduces carbon emissions, cuts crude oil imports, saves foreign exchange and supports farmers by increasing demand for ethanol feedstocks. In fact, the government has signaled an impending increase in baseline ethanol blending beyond E20, with standards notified for E22, E25, E27, and E30. ARAI has also been tasked with carrying out a study on the impact of E25 on existing E20- and E10-compliant vehicles.
Isobutanol-diesel blending under serious consideration
Diesel isn't safe either, as plans to move forward with isobutanol blending in diesel this year are under consideration – isobutanol is an ethanol-derived compound, but is more energy-dense, less corrosive, and has a lower tendency to absorb water (hygroscopicity). This is despite the fact that none of the diesel cars currently sold in India are compliant with isobutanol-blended fuel.
Dipan Sur
Saptarshi Mondal
Dhruv Dhaka
Ajit Dalvi
