India’s top court on Monday rejected a public interest petition that sought to block the government’s move to roll out 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) nationwide. The challenge, filed last month, had asked for motorists to retain the option to buy unblended fuel after E20 became the sole fuel available at nearly 90,000 petrol pumps across the country.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the Supreme Court the decision to introduce E20 was carefully considered and would also help farmers — ethanol in India is largely produced from sugarcane. The government argued the rollout was not a “mindless application of switching out one system with another” and that related concerns were being addressed.
Some automakers had earlier warned that E20 had not been fully tested for compatibility with older vehicles, prompting consumer worries. However, many in the auto sector later downplayed safety risks. P.K. Banerjee, executive director of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said over the weekend that while E20 may reduce mileage in older cars, it is not a safety risk.
With the Supreme Court dismissal, the government’s E20 policy remains in force as India pursues its clean-energy goals and seeks to boost domestic ethanol demand.
