Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways, said on Wednesday that India should start exporting ethanol because the country is in surplus production. He also reiterated that the country needs to reduce its imports and increase exports. Ethanol, an alcohol derivative, is being mixed with petrol. Some sections of social media users claim it is detrimental to engine longevity. The government, however, says that the substance is safe for use.
"It is the time for India's futuristic development. We need to reduce our imports and increase our exports. As far as the surplus of ethanol, it is now the requirement of the country that we need to export ethanol," he said.
India's ethanol production capacity reached an annual production of approximately 1,822 crore liters by June 30, 2025, with the government's Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Program actively promoting increased production to meet its 20 per cent blending target for the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26.
In the ongoing ESY 2024-25, 19.05 per cent ethanol blending was achieved by the end of July.
Nitin Gadkari said that India can rapidly scale up its ethanol production. He said farmers are earning Rs 45000 crore more every year because of the government's ethanol policies.
"Farmers now earn Rs 45,000 crore more annually because of ethanol policies. Diversifying agriculture towards energy is the need of the hour," he added.
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He said rice straw will soon be converted into ethanol and bio-CNG, which could help ease Delhi's pollution and stubble-burning issue.
What Nitin Gadkari said on clean fuel innovation
On innovation, Gadkari spoke about successful trials of bio-bitumen roads, ethanol-powered generators, and flex-fuel vehicles. He said automakers, including Toyota, Tata, Mahindra, Suzuki, and Hyundai, are adopting flex-fuel technology, while tractor makers and construction equipment manufacturers are also shifting to biofuels and hydrogen.

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