Ministry Denies Bhutan E20 Rejection Reports
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has categorically denied reports that Bhutan rejected an offer to import India's E20 petrol. In a fact-check posted on Facebook, the ministry stated that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) never made any such offer and there is no proposal for exporting E20 petrol to Bhutan.
The clarification comes after social media posts, including one by Congress Kerala, alleged that Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka had refused India's ethanol-blended fuel. The ministry urged the public to rely only on official information from MoPNG and OMCs.
Congress Allegations and Government Response
On July 4, 2026, Congress Kerala tweeted: "Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka said no to Gadkari's Ethanol contaminated fuel. Only we Indians are left at the mercy of these idiots." The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas responded the next day, calling these claims incorrect and emphasizing that no export proposal existed.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also clarified that E20 fuel was introduced only after extensive laboratory, vehicle, and field testing by India's leading technical institutions, ensuring reliability and performance.
E20 Fuel: Testing and Warranty Clarifications
The government has assured that the automobile industry has aligned vehicles with prescribed ethanol-blending standards. Using approved E20 fuel does not automatically void the manufacturer's warranty merely because ethanol-blended petrol is used, according to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Ethanol blending is a scientifically designed, internationally accepted fuel formulation, implemented under India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme. It is governed by established fuel quality standards and is not fuel adulteration.
Extensive Testing Shows No Engine Issues
Extensive testing by ARAI, Indian Oil R&D, and IIP has found no significant engine durability or performance issues with E20 in older vehicles. Millions of vehicles have been operating on E20 since the pan-India rollout on April 1, 2025, without any evidence of engine failure attributable to the fuel, the ministry further stated.
