New Delhi: India’s ethanol blending programme maintained the government’s 20% target in July, with oil marketing companies blending 100.4 crore litres of ethanol into petrol during the month, according to official data.
The Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) received 93.5 crore litres of ethanol in July under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme. They also had 84.6 crore litres of ethanol in storage at the end of the month.
For the 2025-26 Ethanol Supply Year (ESY), which runs from November 1 to October 31, OMCs had received 810.8 crore litres of ethanol by the end of July. They had blended 843.4 crore litres during the same period, maintaining the 20% blending target.
Ethanol blending has increased significantly over the past two supply years. In ESY 2024-25, OMCs blended 1,022.4 crore litres of ethanol, with the average blending rate reaching 19.2%. In ESY 2023-24, they blended 707.4 crore litres at an average rate of 14.6%.
The government has promoted ethanol blending as a way to reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil while supporting the rural economy and creating additional demand for agricultural feedstocks.
The increase in blending is also expected to help reduce foreign exchange outflows on crude oil imports and support India’s efforts to move towards a cleaner and more domestically sourced energy system.
