Claims of Bhutan rejecting Indian E20 false, Petroleum Ministry says "no such proposal for exporting E20 petrol"
New Delhi, July 5
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Sunday said that India's Oil Marketing Companies never made any offer to export E20 petrol to Bhutan, and said that there is "no such proposal" on exporting E20 petrol to the neighbouring country.
The ministry said that the reports of Bhutan rejecting imports of India's E20 petrol are incorrect.
In a post on Facebook, the Ministry said, "Fact Check: Claims that Bhutan declined an offer to import E20 petrol from India are incorrect. No such offer has been made by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and there is no proposal for export of E20 petrol to Bhutan. Please rely only on official information from MoPNG and the Oil Marketing Companies."
Earlier on Saturday, Congress alleged that Bhutan, Nepal, Bangaldesh and Sri Lanka have refused India's fuel.
These reports come as there have been concerns raised about the performance and reliability of the newly introduced E20 blend fuel.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting clarified, "E20 fuel was introduced only after extensive laboratory, vehicle, and field testing by India's leading technical institutions. Science led the way, ensuring reliability, performance, and confidence on every journey."
The Government has clarified that the automobile industry has been aligning vehicles with prescribed ethanol-blending standards. Use of approved E20 fuel does not automatically void the manufacturer's warranty merely because ethanol-blended petrol is used, as per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Ethanol blending is a scientifically designed, internationally accepted fuel formulation implemented ( In countries such as Brazil ) under India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme. It is governed by established fuel quality standards and is not fuel adulteration.
Extensive testing previously by ARAI, Indian Oil R&D and IIP has found no significant engine durability or performance issues with E20 in older vehicles. Millions of vehicles are already operating on E20 since 1st April 2025 (Pan rollout of E20) without any evidence of engine failure attributable to the fuel, the Ministry further said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the clarification from the Ministry, but I do have concerns. My 2018 car's manual says not to use ethanol beyond E10. Will older engines really be fine? The government should provide more clarity for common car owners like me.
Foreign countries making their own choices is one thing. But our neighbor Bhutan has deep cultural and economic ties with India. Why would they reject us without reason? This "news" seems designed to create tension. Good that MOPNG fact-checked it.
Exactly! Congress should check facts before making such allegations. E20 is a national priority - it reduces import dependence on crude oil. Brazil has been using it for decades. If our OMCs didn't even propose export, how can it be "rejected"? Baseless.
I'm a farmer in Maharashtra and I can tell you, ethanol blending has actually helped our sugar industry. But forcing it onto neighboring countries without proper consultation? That would have been a diplomatic misstep. Glad to hear it never happened. Policy should stay domestic for now.
The Ministry's Facebook post is clear: "No such proposal." But the opposition's narrative is already out there. This is exactly why we need to be careful with viral news. Having said that, I hope the government also addresses genuine concerns about E20 in older two-wheelers. Safety first.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.