E20 rollout an 'experiment', results will be known next year, govt tells SC
Attorney General R Venkataramani said the government was evaluating the nationwide rollout of E20 fuel and would have the results of the exercise by next year
 "E20 rollout an 'experiment', results will be known next year, govt tells SC")
The government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that its 20 per cent ethanol blending programme was an "experiment" whose outcomes would become clear next year, while defending the policy amid concerns over the use of E20 fuel.
Attorney General R Venkataramani said the government was evaluating the nationwide rollout of E20 and would have the results of the exercise by next year, PTI reported.
The E20 rollout has been a subject of controversy, with many voicing concerns it could impact the performance of older vehicles. The government has defended the policy, saying it was “scientifically validated and continuously monitored".
The AG’s remarks came as the court was hearing petitions challenging a Karnataka High Court order directing oil marketing companies (OMCs) to reconsider ethanol allocation to a distillery for the 2025-26 supply year. The high court had directed the OMCs to reconsider ethanol allocation after a distillery challenged a sharp reduction in its quota for the 2025-26 supply year.
The OMCs argued that reopening allocations after the procurement process had concluded could disrupt the national ethanol blending programme. They argued that the ethanol allocation process had been completed in October 2025 and supply contracts finalised, warning that reopening individual allocations could disrupt the nationwide programme.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu directed the parties to maintain status quo, effectively putting the high court's directions on hold until the matter is heard further.
AG Venkataramani reiterated the government’s stand on E20 rollout, telling the Supreme Court there was no conclusive scientific evidence that the fuel blend causes mechanical damage to vehicles. He claimed the E20 programme intends to reduce crude oil imports, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol production.