Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
India's EBP Programme has progressively increased ethanol blending targets over two decades. It began with a 5% blending target and escalated through successive policy announcements. The National Biofuel Policy 2018 set a 20% blending target for petrol by 2030, a timeline later advanced to 2025–26. The government achieved the E20 mandate nationwide from April 1, 2026, requiring petrol to carry a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95. The EBP programme has saved over ₹1.40 lakh crore in foreign exchange since 2014–15 by substituting ethanol for imported crude oil.
- E20 mandate: nationwide from April 1, 2026, with minimum RON 95
- Ethanol is sourced from sugarcane (molasses and juice), maize, damaged food grains, and other agri-residues
- Approximately 1,800 crore litres of ethanol were produced in the 2025–26 supply year
- EBP programme saves approximately 4.5 crore barrels of crude oil annually
● Tracked since March 13, 2026 · last seen August 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief