Four in five petrol pumps in Karnataka were selling fuel with ethanol content above the 20% limit, a minister said on Friday. The state tested 63 samples after oil companies failed to provide details. This discovery raises concerns about vehicle compatibility and mileage as India pushes to cut crude oil imports.
The findings follow laboratory testing of fuel samples from various districts, raising questions over compliance with India's ethanol blending standards
Four in five petrol pumps surveyed in India's Karnataka state were selling petrol with ethanol content above the permitted 20% limit, a government minister said on Friday.
India accelerated the rollout of E20 petrol in 2025 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to cut crude imports, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol producers.
Rizwan Arshad, Karnataka's minister for food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, said the state had sent 63 fuel samples collected from various districts to a certified private laboratory for testing after oil marketing companies did not respond to its request for details on the ethanol content in the samples.
India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The fuel, now sold across India's fuel retail network, has drawn criticism from opposition parties and vehicle owners over its potential impact on mileage and compatibility with older vehicles.
Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in June that India would start rolling out gasoline blended with 85% ethanol (E85) in a phased manner. E85 fuel is intended for flex-fuel vehicles, which can operate on gasoline blended with high amounts of ethanol.
However, a month later junior oil minister Suresh Gopi said the government had no plans for now to raise ethanol content in gasoline beyond the current 20%.