Guzzle Muzzle

India has achieved its target of blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol years ahead of schedule, which is great. But it could have been communicated better

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

"The glue that holds business relationships together is trust. It is based purely on integrity." — Brian Tracy

I am all for progress, provided it is not a half-baked idea dressed up as reform and waved in my face like a shiny new toy. Progress should be planned, future-proof, past-proof, and proof against bureaucratic and ministerial whimsy. With these thoughts rattling around in my head, I pulled into a fuel station this Sunday to tank up and make a dash for India's still-drenched hills. The pump attendant asked me what I needed, and I accosted him with a peeved "you are incapable of providing it" look. "Pure petrol," I muttered, which got him to break into a toothless smile that never touched his eyes. "Woh toh nahin hai, aur sab gussa hain," he replied ("That is not available, and everyone is angry"). As he looked outraged enough for the both of us, I smiled a toothy smile that did touch my eyes and asked him for Petrol, E20.

This exchange belies a watershed development in India's energy landscape, the near-complete shift to ethanol-blended petrol, particularly E20, which is petrol containing 20 per cent ethanol. What had to be a phased, well-articulated and communicated plan under the Ethanol Blended Petrol programme has become the only available option at nearly all fuel pumps, most vehicle-owners unaware that their vehicles are guzzling a different (and perhaps unwelcome) fuel.

The One Silver Lining

The silver lining is that India has achieved its target of blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol five years ahead of schedule, accomplishing in 2025 itself something that was targeted for 2030. At most fuel outlets, E20 is now the only choice, with blends like E5 or E10 largely phased out. The ethanol content has surged from a humble 1.5 per cent in 2014 to 20 per cent in 2025.