'E20 or 420?': Rahul questions ethanol in petrol, seeks answers from govt

• Rahul Gandhi questions the Modi government's E20 programme after Karnataka tests reportedly detect ethanol levels exceeding 30 per cent.

• Karnataka government seeks action against oil companies; IOCL, BPCL and HPCL reject the findings and defend compliance with BIS standards.

• Oil companies cite Rs 1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange savings since 2014-15 from the ethanol-blending programme.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the Modi government of failing to ensure transparency over the ethanol content of petrol sold in India, citing laboratory tests commissioned by the Karnataka government that allegedly found concentrations well above the prescribed 20 per cent limit.

In a pointed post on X on Saturday, 7 November, Gandhi used a play on the government’s E20 petrol programme and Section 420 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, which dealt with cheating, to target the Centre. 'E20 turned into 420 – stealing petrol from the public's cars!' he wrote in Hindi.

Gandhi claimed that tests conducted on 14 petrol samples collected from seven districts in Karnataka had found that 11 contained more than 20 per cent ethanol. He cited readings of 31.2 per cent in samples from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and 30.5 per cent from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).

He alleged that the excess blending was not confined to public sector oil companies, claiming that samples associated with IOCL, HPCL, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Nayara Energy and Shell had all exceeded the prescribed limit.

The Congress leader also questioned the testing and disclosure practices of the oil marketing companies, alleging that their in-house laboratories had not reported the actual ethanol content.

Arguing that higher-than-prescribed ethanol blending could affect vehicle performance, Gandhi flagged the possibility of reduced mileage and increased maintenance expenses for consumers. He also questioned why petrol pumps did not display labels informing customers about the actual ethanol concentration in the fuel being dispensed.

'Modi ji, tell us — what's being put in the country's tank? How much ethanol is actually in the petrol? When will action be taken against companies mixing more than 20 per cent ethanol?' he asked.

Gandhi also renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in an open debate, suggesting that the ethanol-blending issue could be taken up during the discussion.

Karnataka government flags excess ethanol blending

Gandhi's intervention came a day after the Karnataka government accused major oil marketing companies of supplying petrol with ethanol concentrations exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent ceiling. It demanded action against the companies after laboratory tests reportedly recorded levels as high as 31.2 per cent.

Addressing a press conference, Karnataka food, civil supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology minister Rizwan Arshad said the state government had collected samples from seven districts — Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru — and sent them for testing.

The findings were based on reports from Bengaluru-based Shriram Research Institute, an ISO-certified laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

According to the test results cited by the minister, samples from IOCL and HPCL recorded ethanol concentrations of 31.2 per cent and 30.5 per cent, respectively. The state government maintained that samples collected from multiple major fuel retailers showed blending levels above the prescribed threshold.

Oil companies reject Karnataka's findings

The three state-run oil marketing companies — IOCL, BPCL and HPCL — have contested the Karnataka government's conclusions, questioning the sampling methods and testing procedures used to arrive at the reported figures.

In a joint statement, the companies maintained that E20 petrol supplied through their retail networks, including outlets in Karnataka, complied with the Bureau of Indian Standards' IS 17021 specifications. These prescribe an ethanol concentration in the range of 19 to 21 per cent.

They also challenged the evidentiary basis of the state government's findings, arguing that the laboratory reports did not establish compliance with the statutory and technical procedures required for such testing.

The companies further questioned the reliance on third-party laboratory certificates, saying these did not provide adequate details of the testing methodology to independently verify the reported ethanol concentrations.

India's ethanol-blending programme

India's ethanol-blending initiative, which began with a pilot programme in 2001, is aimed at reducing the country's dependence on imported crude oil, strengthening agricultural value chains and improving energy security.

The programme has subsequently been expanded through a series of policy interventions, including the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and the ethanol-blending roadmap prepared by NITI Aayog.

According to petroleum ministry figures cited by the oil marketing companies, the programme has generated foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore since the 2014-15 ethanol supply year. It has also helped substitute approximately 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 952 lakh metric tonnes and generate payments exceeding Rs 1.66 lakh crore for farmers.

During the 2025-26 ethanol supply year, which concluded on 31 October, the three public sector oil marketing companies procured 1,089 crore litres of ethanol and blended 1,134 crore litres with petrol. Their total petrol sales during the period stood at approximately 5,673 crore litres.