India's Ethanol Policy & Regulatory Roadmap
India's ethanol policy is anchored by the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, which mandates blending targets, guarantees OMC procurement at administered prices, and incentivises distillery capacity. It delivered E20 in 2025 and now frames the move to E30, with fuel standards notified as IS 19850:2026.
India's ethanol policy is anchored by the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, which mandates blending targets, guarantees OMC procurement at administered prices, and incentivises distillery capacity. It delivered E20 in 2025 and now frames the move to E30, with fuel standards notified as IS 19850:2026.
EBP programme launched
E20 achieved (5 years early)
E30 standards notified (IS 19850:2026)
1% SAF blending target
The policy backbone
The EBP programme combines a clear blending roadmap, assured offtake by OMCs, differential pricing by feedstock, and interest-subvention support for new distilleries. This policy certainty is the single biggest reason India scaled ethanol so quickly.
After E20: the E30 question
With E20 met, policy attention has moved to E30 — fuel-quality standards (IS 19850:2026) were notified in May 2026 — alongside flex-fuel vehicle norms and feedstock diversification toward grain and maize to protect food-fuel balance.
Adjacent policy frontiers
Compressed biogas (SATAT), a 1% sustainable aviation fuel target by 2027, and the Global Biofuels Alliance position India's policy beyond petrol blending into a broader bioenergy framework.