India's Petroleum Ministry Rejects Karnataka Ethanol Over-Blending Claims

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India has rejected findings from the Government of Karnataka claiming that 80 percent of surveyed petrol pumps sold fuel exceeding the permitted 20 percent ethanol limit. The ministry asserted that its own tests show supplies meet national standards and questioned the sampling and testing methods used by the state government.

State-run retailers Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum have disputed the Karnataka findings and requested independent testing of the samples. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi characterized the alleged over-blending as "petrol theft" and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclose actual ethanol levels and penalize responsible companies.

These disputes occur as India expands E20 fuel use to reduce emissions and crude imports, with national blending levels reaching 20 percent between November 2025 and March 2026. To protect fuel quality, state-run oil marketing companies have mandated stricter water contamination checks at more than 93,000 petrol pumps. Because ethanol is hygroscopic and prone to phase separation, dealers must now use alcohol-resistant water-finding paste to inspect storage tanks and nozzles every two to eight hours, depending on the company's specific directive.