The Central government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that India’s 20 per cent ethanol blending programme in petrol is still an ongoing experiment. The impact of the policy is expected to become clearer by next year, the Centre said.
The submission was made during the hearing of a petition filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), which has challenged a Karnataka High Court order concerning ethanol allocation for the 2025-26 supply year.
Appearing before the Supreme Court, Attorney General R. Venkataramani said the ethanol blending programme remains under evaluation. “Twenty per cent ethanol blending is something that the government is experimenting with. By next year we will have results,” he told the court.
The remarks come as the government continues to defend the ethanol blending initiative, describing it as an important policy for strengthening energy security, supporting farmers and reducing environmental impact.
In its petition, BPCL argued that the Karnataka High Court’s order could affect the Centre’s larger objective of achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court asked why the public sector oil company had not challenged the order before a division bench of the Karnataka High Court.
Responding to the court’s query, the Attorney General said ethanol supply contracts for the 2025-26 cycle had already been finalised in October 2025 and similar matters were pending before multiple high courts. He argued that the issue had implications for the government’s national ethanol policy.
Venkataramani sought permission from the Supreme Court to file a transfer petition so that similar cases pending before different high courts could be heard together. He told the court that the matter needed to be decided before October, when ethanol supply contracts are scheduled to come up for renewal. “If I go before the division bench and then again to other high courts, it will be delayed,” he submitted.
The Supreme Court issued a notice in the matter and listed the case for hearing after the court reopens.