NEW DELHI ,22 April 2026: Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways in India, has urged for a strong initiative towards achieving 100 per cent ethanol fuel usage in the country in the near future.
His statement was made during the Indian Federation of Green Energy’s Green Transport Conclave. This call for increased ethanol fuel adoption comes in light of vulnerabilities in oil exports due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, highlighting the need for India to attain self-reliance in the energy sector.
E100 refers to a high-ethanol fuel blend that is primarily or nearly pure ethanol, typically comprising 95 to 100 per cent ethanol by volume. In India, the official “Ethanol 100” fuel introduced by IndianOil consists of approximately 93 to 93.5 percent ethanol, with about 5 percent petrol and 1.5 percent co-solvent included for safety purposes.
As per Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the use of 100 per cent ethanol-blend petrol will reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuel imports. This will be done by lowering the requirement of imports from the current 87 per cent to a lower number.
It will eventually result in financial gain, which currently drains around Rs 22 lakh crore annually. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict in West Asia has exposed the vulnerabilities associated with importing fuel.
India has made significant progress in its biofuel program in recent years. After the rollout of E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) on April 1, 2026, the government is now focusing on transitioning to Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) for E100 or E85.
