Today's opinions explore India's forex reserve strategy, Alan Greenspan's complex legacy, West Bengal's urban renewal agenda, maize-led farm growth and China's coercive diplomacy
Petroleum ministry says social media posts on ethanol-blended fuel are misleading and reiterates that higher blending levels follow stringent testing and evaluation
India's ethanol shift promises lower imports and support for farmers, but older vehicles and the informal repair network may carry the first consumer-level costs in coming years
The launch of E85 fuel and flex-fuel vehicles has revived debate on the future of ethanol blending in India, but questions remain over incentives, infrastructure and consumer acceptance
The Ministry of Finance exempted petrol containing 22 per cent, 25 per cent, 27 per cent and 30 per cent ethanol from central excise duty. The move covers E22, E25, E27 and E30 fuel variants.
India's ethanol push is moving beyond E20, but experts say higher blending must also account for groundwater stress and regional water limits
From India's biofuel push and FIFA's commercial priorities to pressure on the rupee, shifts in the global arms market and Malayalam cinema's evolution, here are today's key opinion pieces
Every increase in ethanol content requires engineering changes, recalibrating engines, testing, certification, and modifications to components exposed to fuel
The government has extended excise-duty exemption to petrol blended with 22-30 per cent ethanol but said adoption of higher blends will follow extensive testing and stakeholder consultations
The government has granted excise duty exemption on petrol containing 22-30 per cent ethanol, supporting cleaner fuel adoption and the next phase of India's ethanol blending programme
The government has removed excise duty on petrol blended with 22-30 per cent ethanol, extending tax support beyond E20 and giving a boost to India's clean fuel and energy goals
E85 fuel will initially be available at 48 outlets and is planned to reach 5,000 retail pumps by December 2027, supporting higher ethanol blending levels
PM's adviser says ethanol blending should rise to E25 before India transitions to flex-fuel vehicles and E100, while electric mobility remains central to energy security
The new fuel enters the market amid lingering concerns over the impact of ethanol blends on mileage and engine durability
India's first E100 vehicle may arrive on June 5, but the larger test for the country's ethanol ambitions will begin after it leaves the showroom
Flex fuel will help meet India's two national objectives of cutting crude oil imports and reducing carbon emissions, but requires an entire ecosystem, from fuel availability to more model launches for large-scale adoption, Maruti Suzuki India MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said on Thursday. The benefits of flex-fuel go much beyond the automobile sector, supporting economy, society, environment, farmers, ethanol producers and the larger rural ecosystem, he said, while speaking at the introduction of the company's first flex-fuel vehicle here. A flex-fuel vehicle has an internal combustion engine that is designed to run on alternative fuel made by combing petrol with ethanol or methanol. Noting that India is at a critical point, Takeuchi recollected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to citizens to save fuel and reduce import dependence. "On the other hand, we have to proceed steadily in this Amrit Kaal towards self-reliance and Viksit Bharat by 2047," he said. For both objectives, he
Puri asserted that the Flex Fuel Vehicles offer India a practical solution to reduce crude oil imports, strengthen the rural economy through ethanol demand, and advance low-carbon mobility
India is likely to bring a mandate on blending isobutanol with diesel as early as this year to improve energy security in the country and decarbonise the road and highways sector, Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Secretary V Umashankar said on Friday. Addressing the 'CII Multimodal Transportation and Logistics Summit', Umashankar further said that the highways ministry may bring a draft notification on truck-trailers interchangeability soon to build an ecosystem that needs battery-swapping and battery charging for electric heavy duty commercial vehicles. "Blending of diesel has been looked into with great seriousness. Bharat Petroleum is already undertaking strategic research for isobutanol blending with diesel. And the results are very encouraging. "It is quite likely that the blending mandate will start coming in somewhere later this year," he said. Umashankar said since diesel consumption is almost two times that of petrol, the impact on blending in terms of die
Higher ethanol blending beyond E20 may reduce fuel efficiency, increase component wear, he added
BIS has issued standards for E22-E30 fuel blends as India prepares the technical framework for higher ethanol use in petrol-powered vehicles