The Supreme Court of India will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on September 1, 2025, that challenges the Union government’s E20 Petrol Policy, which mandates the blending of 20% ethanol with petrol sold nationwide.
The case will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, along with Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, according to the legal news portal LawChakra.
The E20 policy aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions, and promote cleaner energy alternatives.
The petitioner, Advocate Akshay Malhotra, argues that offering only E20 petrol without providing an ethanol-free alternative (E0) infringes on the fundamental rights of millions of vehicle owners whose vehicles are not designed to run on higher ethanol blends. He further contends that the lack of public awareness about the ethanol content in fuel denies consumers the right to make an informed decision, as guaranteed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The petition highlights that a significant portion of Indian consumers are unaware that the fuel in their vehicles is a mix of petrol and ethanol, not pure petrol. This non-disclosure of a key fact undermines informed consumer choice.
The following are the reliefs sought :
-Make sure ethanol-free petrol (E0) is available at all fuel stations:
-Clearly label the ethanol content on petrol pumps and fuel dispensers so consumers know what they are buying.
-Inform consumers at the time of refuelling whether their vehicles are compatible with ethanol-blended petrol.
-Ensure the Ministry of Consumer Affairs enforces consumer protection rules for ethanol-blended fuels and issues proper advisories.
-Conduct a nationwide study on the impact of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) on fuel efficiency and wear-and-tear in vehicles that are not compatible.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has reaffirmed that ethanol blending is a key national initiative, countering attempts to undermine the programme through misinformation. In a recent statement, the Ministry addressed concerns being spread among car owners, dismissing claims that using E20 fuel (20% ethanol blend) would void vehicle insurance. The use of E20 fuel does not affect vehicle insurance coverage in India, the Ministry stressed.
The Government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme is aimed at multiple goals, including enhancing environmental sustainability, reducing dependency on crude oil imports, saving foreign exchange, and supporting the domestic agricultural economy. As a result of this initiative, more than ₹1.25 lakh crore has been paid to farmers from Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2014–15 up to July 2025. Additionally, the programme has saved over ₹1.44 lakh crore in foreign exchange, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 736 lakh metric tonnes, and replaced over 244 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil.
Progress under the EBP Programme has been significant. Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) achieved 10% ethanol blending in petrol ahead of schedule in June 2022 (during ESY 2021–22). This figure rose to 12.06% in ESY 2022–23, 14.60% in ESY 2023–24, and reached 19.05% by July 31, 2025, in the current ESY 2024–25. Notably, blending touched 19.93% during July 2025 alone.
In that month, OMCs procured 85.3 crore litres of ethanol under the programme, bringing total procurement to 722.7 crore litres from November 2024 to July 2025. Blending data shows that 87.9 crore litres of ethanol were blended into petrol in July 2025, pushing the cumulative ethanol blending volume to 749 crore litres during the same period.
