India to increase ethanol blending in petrol to 30% by 2030

Ethanol blending is estimated to have saved Rs 1.2 lakh crore in foreign exchange over the past decade.

The government of India has set a fresh target of 30% for ethanol blending in petrol by 2030.

Initially, the government was aiming to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol by the end of this decade. However, it said that this target was achieved in March this year, 5 years ahead of schedule.

Deepak Ballani, Director General of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association, said, “This year, we’ve already done around 19-20 percent. This is five years earlier than the target for 2030.”

Reports indicate that the government’s revised goal of 30% has received inter-ministerial approval

The aim is to improve our energy security by reducing our dependence on fossil fuel imports. As such, ethanol blending levels have been raised steadily over the past few years. The average blending was at 12.06% in FY2023 and 14.6% a year later. It reached 19.6% in February 2025.

India is said to have substituted 20 million metric tonnes of crude oil over the past decade, resulting in estimated foreign exchange savings of Rs 1.2 lakh crore.

Source: NDTV Profit