India eyes more than 20% ethanol in petrol: Govt official

India has the production capacity to exceed 20 per cent ethanol blending, said a senior government official on Tuesday, while he was speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) 13th National Bioenergy Summit, where senior government officials, industry leaders, and global experts called for early planning beyond E20.

Ashwani Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, reiterated the government's commitment to feedstock diversification and year-round ethanol supply.

“India now has the production capacity to exceed 20 per cent ethanol blending. Our focus is on building a robust, sustainable supply chain that supports both industry and farmers,” said Srivastava, IANS reported.

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Expansion of ethanol initiatives

Srivastava also detailed ongoing initiatives such as the expansion of grain-based ethanol capacity, trials on sweet sorghum as a next-generation biofuel crop, procurement of broken rice from five states, and involvement of NAFED and NCCF in feedstock aggregation.

The summit underscored India's rapid strides in ethanol blending and the growing role of sustainable fuels in decarbonising transport, aviation, and industry.

Also Read: India opens door for 2G ethanol exports as blending targets near 20%

India's recent achievement of 20 per cent ethanol blending was celebrated as a milestone made possible by strong policy support, industry investment, and farmer participation.

Tarun Sawhney, Chairman of the CII National Bioenergy Committee, stressed the need for long-term industry-government collaboration to build globally competitive supply chains.

Sawhney also called for early planning beyond E20, urging key stakeholders to consider next-phase transitions like E27 or E100, and underscored the need for inclusive consultations.

Meanwhile, the event reiterated the partnership between India and Brazil-- two leading biofuel producers.

“There is a natural synergy between Brazil and India in clean energy innovation, and we are committed to strengthening this partnership through the Global Biofuels Alliance,” said Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, Ambassador of Brazil.

Also Read: 'Better Pickup, Mileage, Lower Emissions': Centre answers tough questions on ethanol-blended E20, E10 fuels

Learning from Brazil’s biofuel model

Highlighting Brazil's pioneering flex-fuel vehicle model and carbon credit market for biofuels, the Ambassador invited Indian stakeholders to explore investment opportunities and joint ventures.

“About 87 per cent of Brazil's light vehicle fleet runs on ethanol. Our experience with flex-fuel engines, regulatory transparency, and carbon markets has shown that bioenergy can deliver both environmental and economic returns,” said the Ambassador.

India is currently blending ethanol at around 20 per cent in petrol in 2025, achieving this target five years ahead of the original 2030 goal. The nationwide average ethanol blending percentage was reported to be close to 19-20 per cent, with some states achieving slightly lower or higher rates.