‘Backlash against E20 was a paid campaign,’ says Nitin Gadkari as govt approves E100 fuel

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that the backlash against petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) was a “paid campaign”. Gadkari made the remark a day after the central government notified changes to motor vehicle rules allowing flex-fuel vehicles to run on blends containing up to 100% ethanol.

Speaking at an event organised by industry body CII, Gadkari said the opposition to E20 had intensified about three months ago but had since subsided.

“Three months ago, huge noise (khub halla) was made against the E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) fuel; now rage against E20 fuel is over...It was a paid campaign,” Gadkari said.

The government on Monday notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, permitting flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on fuel containing up to E100, or nearly pure ethanol.

The Union Road Transport Minister has repeatedly advocated greater use of ethanol as part of efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. He backs expanding the use of alternative fuels so that the country saves valuable foreign exchange by cutting fossil fuel imports.

Gadkari also said that taking note of complaints on social media about the poor condition of some highway stretches, he reviewed 700-800 projects recently. “I am not going to compromise on the quality of the highways,” he said. The minister assured that in the next two years, highway users won’t face any inconvenience.

Why did E20 rollout trigger protests?

The Centre’s nationwide rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) had triggered protests and political criticism earlier this year, with motorists raising concerns over reduced mileage and the compatibility of the fuel with older vehicles.

Opposition leaders had questioned the government’s decision to make E20 the standard fuel at petrol pumps across India in April 2025.

The government and automobile industry cited studies indicating that E20 does not significantly damage metallic engine components, while acknowledging that fuel efficiency and compatibility can vary across vehicles.