Ethanol Blending Boosts Farmers’ Income, Saves Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore In Forex: Hardeep Puri

India’s ethanol blending programme has reduced the country’s dependence on crude oil imports and increased farmers’ income, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Sunday.

He stated that the government has paid over ₹1.18 lakh crore to farmers in the past 11 years under this programme.

The initiative has also helped India save foreign exchange worth ₹1.36 lakh crore by cutting crude oil imports.

Puri noted that ethanol replaced about 232 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil during this period. This shift led to a reduction of around 698 lakh metric tonnes in carbon emissions.

In a social media post, he said, “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, ethanol is becoming a key driver of New India’s growth.”

He added, “Every drop of ethanol carries the pride and prosperity of our farmers. We have already achieved the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending ahead of schedule.”

India had aimed to reach 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol by 2030. However, the target was met in early 2025, six years ahead of schedule.

The Union Minister said E20 fuel — petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol — is now available at all retail outlets of Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum.

He called the achievement a major milestone in India’s transition to cleaner fuels.

Earlier this week, the Minister also highlighted the transformation of the oil and gas sector under PM Modi’s leadership.

In another post on the social media platform X, he credited the Digital India initiative and tech-driven innovations for improving the country’s fuel infrastructure.

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