Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri last year cited Brazil’s long-standing use of E27 petrol, which contains 27% ethanol, stating that the country had not reported engine-related problems due to the blend. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has also referred to Brazil’s success with ethanol, pointing out that the country adopted E100 pure ethanol fuel years ago.
Brazil’s ethanol journey began in 1973 after the global oil crisis, when Arab oil-producing nations imposed an embargo on the United States and its allies during the Yom Kippur War. The crisis exposed Brazil’s dependence on imported crude oil and pushed the country to seek alternative fuel sources.
The South American nation already had significant advantages for ethanol production. Brazil has been the world’s largest sugarcane producer for decades, with sugarcane cultivation dating back to 1532. The country also had existing ethanol infrastructure, as the first ethanol plant was established in Alagoas in 1927. By 1929, around 500 vehicles in northeastern Brazil were running on ethanol.
According to Bloomberg, Brazil introduced its first mandatory petrol blend containing 5% ethanol in 1931. During World War II, the blending requirement was temporarily increased to 50% due to disruptions in oil supplies. However, the country’s major ethanol expansion began in 1975 with the launch of the National Alcohol Programme, known as Pro-Álcool, when low sugar prices and excess distillation capacity made ethanol production economically attractive.
In 1979, Brazil introduced the Fiat 147, the world’s first mass-produced vehicle designed to run entirely on pure ethanol. Within six years, approximately 75% of vehicles in the country became capable of using ethanol-blended fuel.
Brazil’s fuel system differs significantly from India’s current model. Brazilian consumers can choose between petrol containing around 27% ethanol and hydrous ethanol fuel containing nearly 100% ethanol. Ethanol has often been priced lower than blended petrol, with reports indicating that it was generally sold at prices 25% to 35% cheaper, making it an attractive choice for motorists.
In contrast, fuel stations in India currently do not provide motorists with multiple ethanol blend options. Consumers are primarily supplied with E20 petrol following the nationwide rollout of the blend.
India’s adoption of E20 fuel has triggered widespread debate, with several motorists reporting concerns over reduced vehicle mileage and possible corrosion of engine components after the transition. The issue has also drawn political reactions, with Karnataka Congress chief B K Hariprasad and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal accusing the central government of imposing an unwanted experiment on vehicle owners.
Defending the E20 rollout, Hardeep Singh Puri stated that ethanol-blended fuel was already being used extensively across the country without causing technical difficulties. He said that around 20 crore two-wheelers and 20 lakh four-wheelers were using the fuel, adding that automobile manufacturers and vehicle service providers had reported no major problems.
Puri further stated that India had been using E20 fuel since April last year and had completed more than one year of implementation from April 2025 to April 2026, with additional months of usage beyond that period. He questioned the renewed criticism of the ethanol programme, stating that India had already been using E15 fuel, containing 15% ethanol and 85% petrol, for the previous two to three years.
Nitin Gadkari also rejected claims that E20 petrol damages vehicles and challenged critics to provide evidence of any vehicle experiencing problems because of the fuel blend. He questioned whether any car in the country had faced confirmed issues due to E20 petrol and asked critics to identify specific cases.
As the discussion over ethanol-blended fuel continues, the central government has maintained that future expansion towards E25 and higher ethanol blends will depend on scientific evaluations, technical assessments and consultations with automobile manufacturers. The ongoing debate highlights the contrasting realities between Brazil’s decades-long ethanol ecosystem and India’s evolving transition towards alternative fuel solutions.
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