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India should aim for 100% ethanol blending: Nitin Gadkari
21 Apr 2026

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has advocated for 100% ethanol blending in India.

Addressing the Indian Federation of Green Energy's Green Transport Conclave, he said that the ongoing energy crisis due to the West Asia conflict necessitates self-reliance in energy.

"In the near future, India should aspire to achieve 100% ethanol blending," he said.

Need to work on alternative fuel, biofuel
Import dependence

Gadkari emphasized India's heavy reliance on imports for oil, which accounts for 87% of its requirements.

He said the country imports fossil fuels worth ₹22 lakh crore, contributing to pollution.

"We import fossil fuels worth ₹22 lakh crore, which is also causing pollution... so we need to work on increasing production of alternative fuel and bio-fuel," he said.

In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20).

Green hydrogen as future fuel
Hydrogen economy

Gadkari also spoke about the potential of green hydrogen as a future fuel. He stressed making hydrogen fuel stations financially viable by reducing operational costs.

"Transport of hydrogen fuel is a problem. Also, we need to produce 1kg of hydrogen at $1 to make India an exporter of energy," he said, adding that India could become an energy exporter with these measures.

Automobile companies urged to focus on quality
Auto industry

The minister also urged automobile companies to focus on quality instead of cost. He said this would help them penetrate new markets.

Gadkari noted that while there is a need to discourage petrol and diesel vehicles, people cannot be forced to stop buying them.

He attributed growing concerns about E20 fuel on social media to lobbying by the petroleum sector against the move.