Karnataka Alleges Excess Ethanol in E20 Petrol: How Fuel Standards and Fuel Testing Work
The Karnataka government said that petrol samples from some pumps in the state contained much more ethanol than the 20% allowed in E20 petrol. The highest reading it reported was 31.2%, with other samples between 25.5% and 30.5%.
The state had collected 63 petrol samples from seven districts in October 2026 and tested them at a private research laboratory in Bengaluru. It asked the Centre to clarify the real blend and to make pumps display the blend level.
The state estimated large losses for consumers from lower mileage and higher servicing costs, about ₹1.01 lakh crore a year in total.
The three public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs), IOCL, BPCL and HPCL, rejected the findings. They said that, with the Petroleum Ministry's Centre for High Technology, they tested 893 samples across 27 states and Union Territories, and all were within the 19% to 21% range. The 56 Karnataka samples had 19% to 20% ethanol, averaging 19.30%.
The OMCs said the state's sampling did not follow the prescribed procedure: six one-litre samples, two each for the dealer, the company or department, and an authorised laboratory. They said no OMC representative was present and they had not received the retained samples or lab reports.
The OMCs said E20 sold in India meets IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specification for E20 petrol. They offered joint sampling and testing, and said any violation proven by the proper procedure would be acted upon.
Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme is the Government of India's plan to mix ethanol, a fuel made from plants such as sugarcane and grains, into the petrol sold at pumps. "E20" means petrol with 20% ethanol and 80% normal petrol. Blending cuts crude oil imports, reduces some pollution and gives farmers and sugar mills another source of income. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas runs the programme, and the public sector oil companies buy the ethanol and do the blending at their depots.
Karnataka's complaint goes to the heart of public trust in the EBP Programme. If pumps sell petrol with much more than 20% ethanol, mileage falls further and older vehicles may face more wear. The oil companies say their wider national testing shows the blend is within the E20 range.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's National Standards Body. It writes the official quality rules, called Indian Standards, for thousands of products, from pressure cookers and helmets to cement, gold jewellery and petrol. It also checks and certifies that products meet these rules, using marks such as the ISI mark. When you see "IS 17021" for E20 petrol or "IS 1417" for gold, that is a BIS standard.
The oil companies' main defence is that the E20 sold across India meets IS 17021, the BIS standard for E20 petrol. Karnataka's complaint is, in effect, a claim that some pump fuel does not meet that standard. Settling it needs sampling and testing that follow the prescribed method in a reliable laboratory, which is exactly the kind of system that standards and accredited labs exist to provide.
Essential Commodities Act, 1955
The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (ECA) is a central law that lets the government control the production, supply, distribution, trade and quality of goods the public cannot do without, such as food, fertilisers, drugs and petroleum products. Under Section 3, the Centre issues "control orders" that set detailed rules for each commodity. Breaking a control order is a criminal offence under the Act.
The dispute is not only about the ethanol number but about procedure. The oil companies say Karnataka did not follow the six-sample method, did not involve them, and has not shared the retained samples. Under the ECA control order system, a violation counts only when sampling and testing follow the prescribed steps, which is why both sides are now talking about joint testing.
- Karnataka's highest reported ethanol reading: 31.2% (others 25.5% to 30.5%); E20 limit is 20%
- Karnataka's sampling: 63 samples, 7 districts, October 2026
- OMC testing: 893 samples, 27 states/UTs, all within 19% to 21%; 56 Karnataka samples averaged 19.30%
- Prescribed sampling: six one-litre samples of petrol (two each to dealer, company/department, authorised lab)
- E20 standard: IS 17021 (Bureau of Indian Standards)
- Karnataka's estimated consumer burden: about ₹1.01 lakh crore a year (disputed by OMCs)
- Mileage drop from E20 (Petroleum Ministry assessment, August 2025): about 1% to 2% for E20-designed vehicles, 3% to 6% for some others
- 20% blending target: originally 2030, advanced to 2025-26; reached in 2025
- BIS Act, 2016 in force from 12 October 2017; QCOs under Section 16