New Delhi, Aug 2026 : Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Khanna on Thursday clarified that there is currently no proposal to replace E20 petrol with E10, saying the ongoing discussion is primarily about whether older vehicles should have access to a lower-ethanol fuel blend.
Speaking to the media after BPCL’s annual shareholder meeting, Khanna said there would be no major operational or logistical difficulty in moving from E20 to E10 if the government eventually decides to alter its ethanol-blending policy.
“I never said that E20 will be changed to E10,” Khanna said, explaining that the debate in some quarters concerns the possibility of providing a lower-ethanol option specifically for older vehicles.
E10 petrol contains 10 per cent ethanol blended with 90 per cent petrol, while E20 contains 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol. The government has been promoting ethanol blending as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol production.
Khanna said there is currently no proposal to roll back E20 across the country. However, he acknowledged that authorities and industry stakeholders are examining whether E10 fuel could be made available for vehicles manufactured before the wider adoption of higher ethanol blends.
“One of the options being explored is whether we have E10 fuel for the older vehicle,” Khanna said. He added that supplying another grade of petrol alongside E20 could present logistical challenges, particularly in terms of managing separate supplies and distribution networks.
The BPCL chief said these issues were being examined as part of the broader policy discussion and that the company would be able to adapt if the government eventually makes a change.
The clarification comes amid an ongoing public debate over the compatibility of E20 petrol with older vehicles. Concerns have been raised in some sections that vehicles manufactured before 2023 may face problems after being exposed to higher ethanol blends.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently issued a factsheet seeking to counter such claims. It said E15-plus fuels had been in widespread use for more than three-and-a-half years, while E19-E20 fuel had been used for more than two-and-a-half years.
According to the ministry, there has been no verified evidence of widespread engine failures or vehicle breakdowns directly attributable to ethanol blending during this period.
The ministry further argued that if ethanol blending were causing systemic damage to engines or fuel systems, it would have resulted in large-scale warranty claims, manufacturer-led service campaigns and widespread consumer complaints. It said no such pattern has been reported.
The debate over E10 and E20 is therefore currently focused less on a nationwide rollback and more on whether consumers with older vehicles should be given an alternative fuel option.
Khanna’s comments indicate that any such decision would require consideration of both vehicle compatibility and the practical challenges of maintaining multiple petrol grades across India's extensive fuel distribution network.
