The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Thursday announced that the government is rolling out around 5,200 ethanol dispensing stations across key regions, including Delhi-NCR, Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur, to promote the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the flex-fuel version of the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Puri said earlier attempts to establish E100 ethanol dispensing infrastructure had fallen short due to the lack of compatible vehicle models.
“There was an attempt earlier to set up a large number of E100 dispensing stations, but the models were not ready,” he said.
The minister said the current rollout begins with about 5,200 dispensing stations and will be expanded in phases depending on adoption levels. “We are starting with about 5,200 dispensing stations in the Delhi-NCR region, Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, etc. This 5,200 will hopefully go up to 500 towards the end of 2026, and if this goes as anticipated, then we will go up to 5,000 by December 2027,” he said, indicating a phased expansion plan.
Puri added that wider use of flex-fuel vehicles could significantly boost ethanol consumption in the country. He estimated that if 50% of new vehicles become flex-fuel compliant, ethanol demand could rise by nearly 400 crore litres.
He also linked the initiative to broader agricultural and environmental goals, noting that the shift could encourage farmers to move away from water-intensive crops toward alternatives like maize, which require comparatively less water.
“This is an overall ecosystem which is developing,” he said.
At the WagonR flex-fuel launch event, the minister highlighted the growing importance of the passenger vehicle segment, pointing out that India has over 30 crore two-wheelers and about 37 lakh passenger cars serving the aspirations of middle-class families.
“When flex-fuel technology enters this segment at scale, the impact multiplies dramatically,” he said.
Puri also spoke about India’s energy security, noting that a large share of crude oil and LPG imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the country had maintained uninterrupted fuel supply despite global uncertainties.
“In the 93–94 days that have elapsed, there has not been a single dry-out anywhere. There has been no shortage,” he said.
On LPG production, he said domestic output has risen significantly over the years, reversing earlier dependence on imports. “We took LPG production from 32,000 metric tonnes per day to 54,000 metric tonnes. Earlier, we were importing nearly 50% of our needs; today the situation has improved substantially,” he added.
(With inputs from ANI)
