Petrol Samples Show Ethanol Levels Above E20 limit, Says Govt

Addressing reporters, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad said that under the direction of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Department of Legal Metrology conducted inspections across Karnataka to verify ethanol blending levels in petrol

“The laboratory findings revealed 31.2 percent ethanol blending in IOCL and 30.5 percent in HPCL (MS Power), exceeding 20 percent,” he said.
Samples were collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.
According to the statement, samples from various places were tested at laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and certified under ISO standards

The ethanol content in the petrol samples varied across brands and fuel types IOCL petrol recorded 31.2 percent, followed by HPCL MS Power petrol at 30.5 percent, HPCL petrol at 27 percent, BPCL Speed petrol at 26.5 percent, Nayara petrol at 26.1 percent and Shell petrol at 25.5 percent Other samples recorded 24.2 percent and 22.6 percent in BPCL petrol, 22.4 percent in HPCL petrol (MS). 20.8 percent in IOCL petrol and 20.6 percent in Nayara petrol. The tests also found 19.9 percent ethanol in BPCL petrol, 19.2 percent in MRPL petrol and 13.5 percent in Shell petrol

The department alleged that when the samples were initially sent to the oil companies’ laboratories (IOCL and BPCL), the reports did not disclose the ethanol percentage despite the tests being mandatory. This raised suspicions that the companies were attempting to conceal excessive blending, the statement said.
The government stated that excessive ethanol blending could reduce vehicle mileage and cause damage to fuel filters, pumps, injectors, hoses and seals, particularly in vehicles not designed to run on fuel with ethanol content above 20 percent

Citing its estimates, the department said the country consumes around 6,200 crore litres of fuel annually. Assuming a 10 percent reduction in mileage and a petrol price of Rs 100 per litre, it estimated an annual financial burden of around Rs 62,000 crore on consumers. It further estimated vehicle repair costs at Rs 39,000 crore, putting the combined burden at around Rs 1.01 lakh crore annually.
The statement also claimed that nearly 99 percent of the country’s 35 crore vehicles were not designed for ethanol blends exceeding E20. Even vehicles introduced after April 2023 were certified only for blends up to E20

The government alleged that while the Centre had cited foreign exchange savings from ethanol blending, the benefits had not reached consumers. It pointed to the combined profits of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL, which it said stood at Rs 77,821 crore in the 2025-26 financial year.
The state has sought disclosure of the actual ethanol content in petrol supplied to consumers, action against oil companies supplying fuel with ethanol levels beyond the prescribed limit, and a transparent audit of blending levels at fuel stations.