India just reached 20% ethanol in petrol—here's why it matters
India has officially hit 20% ethanol blending in petrol as of November 2025, nudging past last month's number and staying on track for the government's big target by October 2026.
This marks a major step in making fuel cleaner and less dependent on traditional oil.
How did we get here?
Oil companies blended nearly 90 crore liters of ethanol last month alone, with stocks still strong at the end of November.
Last year, they averaged about 19% blending—so this is real progress.
What's powering all this?
To keep up momentum, the government set aside extra rice from FCI and even diverted sugar for ethanol production.
They also bumped up the price paid for rice-based ethanol to encourage more supply.
What's next?
India's ethanol production capacity is now close to 2,000 crore liters.
Oil companies are already looking to buy another 1,050 crore liters for this year—so expect even more green fuel at the pump soon.