Government Denies 27% Ethanol Blending Target Report

21-Jul-2025 12:44 PM

The Central Government has refuted media reports claiming that the ethanol blending target in petrol has been raised to 27 percent. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas labeled the news as fabricated and misleading.

It clarified that the Ethanol Blending Petrol Program continues to follow the roadmap laid out in the "Road Map for Ethanol Blending in India 2020–25," which remains valid until 31 October 2026.

According to the official roadmap, the ethanol blending target will remain at 20 percent for the marketing season starting 1 November 2025 and ending 31 October 2026. No revision or decision has been made to increase this target beyond 20 percent.

From November 2024 to June 2025, India achieved an 18.9 percent ethanol blending rate, which rose to 19.9 percent in June 2025, nearing the official 20 percent target.

The ministry highlighted the program’s success in recent years, noting that it has ensured timely payments to sugarcane farmers and helped the country save over Rs. 1 trillion in foreign exchange by reducing petroleum imports by 2023–24.

The government advised sugar mills and grain-based distilleries not to rely on unverified media reports and confirmed that no changes have been made to the official ethanol blending targets.