The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, staged a protest in New Delhi against the government's E20 petrol policy, attempting to march to the Prime Minister's residence with over 2.30 lakh petitions from vehicle owners concerned about the ethanol-blended fuel.
A new digital political phenomenon, the 'E20 Janta Party', is gaining traction on Instagram, mobilising Gen Z against the government's mandatory 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) and demanding Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's resignation.
The Indian government has defended its E20 ethanol blending programme, stating that extensive testing and field experience show no evidence of abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life, despite a potential 2-6% reduction in fuel economy.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is leading a march to the Prime Minister's residence to submit a petition with two lakh signatures against E20 petrol. He is demanding consumer choice, lower E20 prices, and transparency regarding studies supporting the fuel. The government defends the E20 programme, citing energy security and no evidence of vehicle harm.
Why the industry's public position changed is difficult to say. What the developments did establish, though, is that ethanol-blended petrol has become one of the country's most politically and commercially sensitive policy issues.
Researchers at IIT Kanpur have found that 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) does not significantly reduce fuel efficiency or harm vehicle engines, contradicting social media claims and providing reassurance amidst its nationwide rollout. The study supports the Oil Ministry's stance on E20's benefits.
'I am now driving an electric vehicle. I have lost faith in petrol-run cars.'
It, however, conceded that 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol leads to 3-5 per cent lower mileage in vehicles than conventional petrol, but said the blend offers a significantly higher octane rating, superior anti-knock properties, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration, and cleaner engine operation.
The Indian government has allocated an additional 2 million tonnes of surplus broken rice from FCI stocks for its ethanol blending programme, while simultaneously issuing a detailed rebuttal to widespread misinformation regarding the E20 fuel, addressing concerns from water consumption to engine damage and environmental impact.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has filed a civil suit against Meta, X Corp, Google LLC, and unknown persons in the Bombay High Court over "defamatory" deepfakes and AI-generated posts concerning the ethanol policy. The court will hear the matter on August 5, with Gadkari seeking a permanent injunction and immediate takedown of the fake content, which he claims has harmed his reputation.
The Indian government has dismissed concerns that the use of E20 fuel could affect the validity of vehicle insurance policies, stating that the ethanol blending programme remains safe, consumer-friendly, and economically beneficial.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has received permission from the Bombay High Court to file a civil suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google LLC, and other unknown entities for allegedly circulating 'defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content against him.
A government adviser has called for India to reintroduce a petrol variant with a lower ethanol blend, such as E10, alongside the current E20 fuel. This move aims to protect millions of older vehicles, particularly two-wheelers, which may experience performance issues and damage from the higher 20 per cent ethanol blend.
'As long as the vehicle has a flex engine, it is irrelevant if the mixture is 15 per cent or 30 per cent; the performance is the same.'
A group of experts has voiced significant concerns regarding India's ethanol-blended fuel policy, citing potential negative impacts on land-use, agriculture patterns, food security, groundwater levels, and household incomes. They recommend a return to E10 fuel and a review of the policy's overall benefits versus costs to consumers and the environment.
The Bombay High Court has ordered major social media platforms, including Meta, X Corp, and Google LLC, to immediately remove 'vile, abusive, obscene, and defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, emphasising the urgent need for online platforms to curb malicious digital content.
Huawei has expanded its premium smartphone portfolio with the launch of the Pura 90s Pro and Pura 90s Pro Max.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
Gen Z protesters are using memes, music, and sarcastic humour on social media platforms like Instagram and X to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET question paper leak and other examination irregularities.
Nissan Motor India aims to achieve a fourfold increase in domestic sales, targeting 100,000 units annually, and export another 100,000 vehicles from its Chennai plant by financial year 2027-28 (FY28), marking a significant revival of its presence in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
'Our leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are in touch with all Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AAP.'
As of now, no firm has launched a flex-fuel vehicle in India, as these models are more expensive than comparable petrol-run vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has launched the Wagon R, India's first flex-fuel car, capable of running on any blend of ethanol and petrol from E20 to E100, aligning with national energy security and sustainability goals.
Flex fuel motorcycles can deliver "3 per cent higher torque and 7 per cent higher peak power".
"There is a sharp jump that we have seen in bookings of EVs... The jump, at least in our case, in just two months, it is about 2 to 2.5 times of what it used to be"
Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava is pushing for increased government incentives for biogas-powered vehicles over hybrids, emphasising their net-zero carbon emissions and the valuable organic manure they produce, while also advocating for continued GST benefits for electric vehicles.
'The petrol lobby is very rich and strong.'
'Crude oil prices are around $66-67 per barrel now but could fall to $55-60 if global disturbances ease.'
On the back of an aggressive asset monetisation push, the government will press the throttle on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model - under which private developers fund highway construction - for future highway development, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said.
The Nifty 50 index could rise around 24 per cent from current levels to 32,032 by December 2026 in a bull-case scenario, Kotak Securities said in a recent note. "We value Nifty at a 10 per cent premium (at 22x) to the 10-year average price-to-earnings of 20x on 2027-28 estimated (E) earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 1,456, and arrive at a December 2026 Nifty target of 32,032," the analysts wrote.
'The E20 usage accrues the huge benefit to the nation, to the society, to the farmer, to the environment, to the exchequer and all of us'
The government has no say in where the country's refiners source oil from because these are commercial transactions.
The ministry stated that for vehicles designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, mileage may drop by just 1-2 per cent, while in other vehicles, it could be around 3-6 per cent.
Amid the political push and pull, the Centre's decision to allow sugar exports and remove the 50 per cent duty on molasses exports has rekindled hope in the industry that more relief may follow.
EV manufacturers point out that converting a regular petrol car into a flex-fuel vehicle requires only about Rs 17,000-25,000 per unit, whereas developing an EV demands vastly greater investments in research, battery development, and localisation.
The Supreme Court rejected a PIL challenging the nationwide rollout of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (EBP-20), citing benefits to sugarcane farmers. The plea alleged incompatibility issues with older vehicles.
The Congress party has accused Union Minister Nitin Gadkari of conflict of interest, alleging his sons' companies have benefited from the government's ethanol blending policy. The BJP has rejected the allegations.
Maruti Suzuki, India's largest producer of small cars, stands to benefit the most.
'What the US appears to be doing is to force India to be "the buyer of last resort", on whom their products can be dumped, 1.4 billion people have to eat something, so why not eat American corn?' 'What is exercising the Trump lot is the fact that most of the farms are in solidly Republican Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin,' points out Rajeev Srinivasan.
'We are not asking for incentives, but at least taxation can be aligned such that the rupee tax on consumers remains the same.'
