India’s ethanol push is no longer just about blending petrol. With proposals to extend its use to aviation, the debate has intensified over whether the country is rushing into a fuel whose costs may outweigh its benefits. Concerns range from damage to existing vehicles and lower fuel efficiency to groundwater depletion, food security, the diversion of crops from the food chain and severely low energy density.
Many experts believe the real future of biofuels lies not in food crops but in converting crop residues, municipal waste and other biomass into cleaner fuels. The E10 or 100 millilitre ethanol per 10 litre of petrol could be a myth with its low burning capacity – energy density and high-water content, though it could boost profits of distilleries. It’s doubtful if it could give the required thrust to a car or now as planned for aircraft as well by the government. Even the push for ethanol for cars is yet not cleared by any lab or study. As per the government’s admission in court, it is doing a mass experiment with it, and it’s not clear with whose legal sanction.
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India’s ethanol blending programme with unproven energy security is reshaping crop priorities, with farmers favouring maize over pulses and oilseeds, risking food security. The Economic Survey 2025-26 has warned of increased dependence on edible oil imports and food price volatility, highlighting a conflict between energy and food self-sufficiency.
Diverting sugarcane, rice and maize to ethanol production risks raising food prices, reducing food security and worsening groundwater depletion. Higher maize demand has also raised livestock feed costs, hurting poultry and dairy sectors. Diverting surplus rice and sugarcane may strain the public distribution system, while water-intensive ethanol crops further aggravate India’s growing water crisis.
The ethanol blending move calls for immediate withdrawal till detailed, prolonged tests are done in government labs. The government has not clarified how a half-baked idea is forcefully implemented without a study or lab clearance. Brazil built its ethanol ecosystem over five decades, driven by the 1973 oil crisis. In 1930, it allowed a blending law. The government initiated the Proálcool programme in 1975, introduced mass-produced ethanol-only cars by 1979, and launched flex-fuel (E27, E35, E100, 25 to 30% cheaper) vehicles in 2003. This phased approach allowed simultaneous upgrades to fuel pumps, vehicle engines, and sugarcane production. It worked with auto giants for developing a fully ethanol-compliant engine. It never made it compulsory. Above all, Brazil worked step by step. India is seemingly in a hurry without preparation and a scientific approach. Here, profit, unfortunately, alone seems the inspiration. India forced a blanket blend without price reductions, creating dissatisfaction due to the resulting 5–12% drop in fuel mileage and ethanol-water blend costs the same as petrol, ensuring higher profits to distilleries.
The ARAI study on E20 (20% ethanol) does not suggest a blanket disapproval but presents a mixed picture. While engines generally survive, testing by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) found that prolonged use of E20 in older vehicles designed for E10 can accelerate deteri oration of rubber fuel-system. Over 90% of vehicles in India are not E20 compliant.
Whether ethanol is a clean fuel depends on its full lifecycle, not just tailpipe emissions. Ethanol is only one part of India’s broader biofuel strategy, alongside compressed biogas, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and bioethanol for hard-to-decarbonise sectors. The next generation biofuels have to be made from farm residues, municipal waste and other non-food biomass, stubble and methane emissions.
Ethanol alone will not deliver India’s climate goals. Neither will electric vehicles. India’s clean energy future will be built on an ecosystem where renewable electricity, electric mobility, green hydrogen and advanced biofuels complement one another rather than compete.
The push for ethanol seems misplaced. Ethanol is only one component of a much broader ecosystem. The carbon footprint math gets complicated because ethanol has roughly 33% less energy density, which means a vehicle has to burn more volume than petrol – inflating the emissions and cost per-mile story. Savings on forex is more of a myth.
Aviation, shipping, heavy commercial vehicles and several industries will continue to require liquid and gaseous fuels for decades. Ethanol could be a reserve fuel but not a regular one as its actual costs and environmental hazards are high. It would be more expensive than petrol and never match petroleum fuels.
