Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that India must aim to achieve 100 per cent ethanol blending for use as auto fuel in the near future, as global energy disruptions amid ongoing West Asia conflict have made it essential for the country to become self-reliant in the energy sector. 

The minister noted that India relies heavily on imports to meet about 87% of its crude oil requirements. He said India spends around Rs 22 lakh crore on fossil fuel imports, which also contributes to pollution. Therefore, he stressed the need to expand production of biofuels and other alternative energy sources. Noting that green hydrogen is the fuel of the future, he said there is a need to reduce the cost of running a hydrogen fuel station to make it financially viable. He said ‘transport of hydrogen fuel is a problem. Also, we need to produce 1 kg of hydrogen at $1 dollar, to make India an exporter of energy.’  

He further said that there is a need to produce hydrogen from waste. While observing that there is a need to discourage the use of petrol and diesel vehicles, he said ‘but we cannot force people to stop buying petrol and diesel vehicles.’ Addressing concerns about E20 fuel, he said the petroleum sector is lobbying against this move. He also urged automobile manufacturers to prioritise quality over cost, as it would help them penetrate new markets. He added that the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency III standards, due to take effect from 1 April next year, would have limited bearing on electric and flex-fuel vehicles.