New Delhi, November 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Centre on Saturday rejected claims of excessive ethanol blending in petrol at certain retail outlets in Karnataka, questioning the sampling and testing procedures adopted by the state. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said all 56 samples tested in Karnataka under a nationwide quality-monitoring exercise complied with prescribed E20 specifications.
The ministry said the three public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — had stated that reports of ethanol blending levels between 26 and 31 per cent were not supported by tests conducted under prescribed statutory and technical procedures. It said E20 petrol supplied across the country conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021.
The OMCs raised concerns over the sampling and testing methodology used during an October 2026 exercise. Under the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, read with the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024, six one-litre samples must be collected: two for the dealer, two for the oil company or department, and two for a designated laboratory.
The ministry said samples collected during a September exercise were routed through the State Level Coordinator to designated OMC laboratories. However, the subsequent October exercise reportedly involved samples drawn without OMC representatives. The companies also said they had not received retention samples, complete outlet-wise details or laboratory reports. They questioned the use of third-party laboratory certificates that, according to the ministry, lacked details of the test method, dilution procedure and reference material.
The ministry also flagged discrepancies in density readings in the certificates, saying the reported samples with 26–31 per cent ethanol had lower densities than E20 samples tested by the OMCs. It said these issues prevented independent verification and highlighted the need for testing through prescribed methods.
In a nationwide exercise conducted by the OMC/Centre for High Technology Quality Coordination Cell, 893 E20 samples from 27 states and Union Territories were tested at refinery and OMC quality-control laboratories. The samples included 330 from IOCL, 280 from BPCL and 283 from HPCL. All were found to contain ethanol within the prescribed 19–21 per cent range.
In Karnataka, all 56 samples collected across different locations and involving all three OMCs met the specifications, recording ethanol content between 19 and 20 per cent, with an average of 19.30 per cent. The ministry said these findings differed substantially from the levels reported in the Karnataka press release.
The government also said ethanol blending at OMC refineries and depots is carried out through calibrated and automated systems under prescribed specifications and quality-control protocols.
Questioning estimates of around Rs 62,000 crore in annual consumer mileage losses and Rs 39,000 crore in vehicle-repair costs, the ministry said these figures required examination against technical evidence and actual vehicle-performance data. It noted that more than 30 crore two-wheelers and four crore four-wheelers had been running on E20 fuel for over three years, while more than six crore people visit petrol pumps daily. The ministry said no widespread incidence of vehicle breakdowns had been reported.
Citing studies involving the Inter-Ministerial Committee, IOCL, the Automotive Research Association of India and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the ministry said vehicles calibrated for E20 could experience mileage reductions of around 1–2 per cent, while some other vehicles could see reductions of approximately 3–6 per cent, depending on their category and calibration.
It said applying a blanket assumption of 10 per cent mileage loss across the entire vehicle population to calculate national consumer losses was not scientifically established. The vehicle-repair cost estimate, it added, also required transparent assessments of vehicle performance, material compatibility and documented repair expenses.
The ministry said the ethanol blending programme aims to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, strengthen domestic agricultural value chains and improve energy security. Since Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2014-15, it has resulted in foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore, substitution of approximately 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, reduction of around 952 lakh metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and transfers of over Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers.
During ESY 2025-26, which ended on October 31, 2026, PSU OMCs procured 1,089 crore litres of ethanol and blended 1,134 crore litres against petrol sales of approximately 5,673 crore litres, in pursuit of the national 20 per cent blending target.
The ministry also rejected the suggestion that OMCs had a commercial incentive to blend ethanol beyond the prescribed target, saying additional procurement would increase their costs. It reiterated its commitment to fuel quality, regulatory compliance and consumer protection through established quality-assurance and monitoring mechanisms.
FOLLOW NOW
