Farmers load freshly harvested sugarcane into a tractor trolley during the harvesting season, in Karad, Maharashtra, on December 15.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The story so far:
E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol and is being sold by Indian oil refiners, has been much in the news lately. India has achieved its target to blend 20% ethanol per litre of fuel five years ahead of the target under the National Policy on Biofuels. Ethanol blending in India rose from just 1.5% in 2014 to 20% in 2025, backed by the government’s strong fiscal incentives to the sugarcane industry. While the government says ethanol blending achieves a range of goals such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions, bolstering farmers’ incomes and reducing India’s oil import bill, its benefits to the environment require closer scrutiny.
Published – August 18, 2025 08:30 am IST
