ISMA Calls for Fact-Based Debate on E20 Amid Rising Misinformation

The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has called for a fact-based public discourse on ethanol-blended petrol, stating that misinformation surrounding E20 fuel risks undermining India's ethanol blending programme and its broader energy security objectives.

The industry body said recent claims circulating on social media—including allegations that E20 petrol damages vehicles, attracts insects, invalidates insurance policies or involves direct mixing of sugarcane juice with petrol—are factually incorrect.

According to ISMA, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has clarified that India's Ethanol Blending Programme has undergone scientific validation, extensive testing and continuous monitoring in consultation with oil marketing companies, automobile manufacturers, fuel testing agencies and other stakeholders. The ministry has also stated that no incidents of engine failure or vehicle breakdown have been linked to E20 petrol since its rollout.

The association also noted that fuel-grade ethanol is produced through industrial processes such as fermentation and distillation and is sourced from feedstocks including sugarcane juice, molasses, broken rice and maize before meeting prescribed fuel-quality standards for blending.

Referring to concerns over vehicle compatibility and fuel efficiency, ISMA said automobile manufacturers, oil companies, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), oil marketing companies (OMCs) and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have previously maintained that reports of vehicle damage are not supported by evidence. It added that any variation in fuel economy is marginal while ethanol blending contributes to lower emissions and reduced crude oil imports.

According to official estimates cited by ISMA, ethanol blending has helped India save more than ₹1.4 lakh crore in foreign exchange through lower crude oil imports while creating additional demand for agricultural feedstocks and supporting farmer incomes. The association also pointed out that ethanol blending is already widely adopted in countries including the United States, Brazil and Japan, with Brazil using E27 as its standard fuel blend.