The government is considering increasing ethanol blending in petrol beyond the 20% target and has set up a NITI Aayog committee to explore the possibilities, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep S Puri announced at the Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit in Guwahati.
Puri stated that India has already achieved 19.6% ethanol blending and is on track to reach 20% next month. "We had set a target of 20 per cent blending by 2026, but already achieved 19.6 per cent. I am sure we will touch 20 per cent next month," he said.
India currently has a blending capacity of 1,700 crore liters, of which 1,500 crore liters are being utilized. The minister highlighted the country’s USD 150 billion fuel import bill and emphasized the need to focus on green hydrogen. "The green hydrogen price is presently USD 4.5. If you can bring it closer to USD 2.5, there will be a revolution," he said.
Puri noted that while India is moving towards clean energy, economic needs must be balanced. "For an economy like India growing at 6-7 per cent, it needs fuel. We need to survive the present for a cleaner future," he added.
On hydrocarbons, he predicted that oil consumption would rise to 6.5-7 million barrels per day. Additionally, India is opening more areas for exploration under the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), with increasing interest from global energy firms.
