Petrol pumps across India may soon offer multiple ethanol-blended fuel options, Mint reported. This would allow vehicle owners to choose a variant suited to their engine, much like picking a product off a supermarket shelf,
The government has reportedly advised state-run oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum, along with private fuel retailers Jio-bp Mobility, Nayara Energy and Shell, to begin building infrastructure for dispensing E20, E22, E25, and E30 fuels.
New BIS Standards Pave the Way
The move follows a government notification dated May 15, 2026, under which the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) established standard IS 19850:2026, covering formal fuel specifications for E22, E25, E27 and E30 petrol, defined as admixtures of anhydrous ethanol and motor gasoline for use in petrol-engine vehicles.
1 May 2026
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The notification marks a formal step toward higher ethanol blending in India's fuel supply. The development also comes shortly after the government's April 2026 proposal to permit fully ethanol-powered vehicles.
What Pumps Will Need to Change
Rolling out multiple blend options will require major investment at retail outlets, including separate dispensing units, underground storage systems, blending controls and fuel quality monitoring mechanisms, Mint reported.
"Information on ethanol-blended petrol sold at fuel stations will have to be displayed clearly on dispensing pumps so that consumers can easily identify the fuel they are buying. Retail outlets will have to label the different variants," a government official told Mint.
The latest push comes at a time when India is looking to deepen ethanol adoption amid volatile crude oil prices and energy security concerns. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil supply passes, has intensified worries over crude supply disruptions and price volatility.
Notably, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari earlier unveiled a new ethanol-based cooking stove at a public event in Nagpur, claiming it could make cooking cheaper than commercial LPG cylinders. Gadkari said the stove works by combining ethanol with water to produce a cooking flame, marking another step in India's broader biofuel push.
Additionally, India's ethanol blending programme has expanded sharply over the past decade, rising from around 1.5% in 2014 to nearly 20% in 2025, driven by government mandates and investments in biofuel infrastructure.
