India sets standards for E22-E30 petrol as AIDA pushes for higher blends

India has taken a formal technical step toward the next phase of its ethanol-blending programme, with the Bureau of Indian Standards notifying IS 19850:2026 for E22, E25, E27 and E30 fuel — an admixture of anhydrous ethanol and motor gasoline for use in positive ignition engine-powered vehicles.

The BIS document says the standard “prescribes requirements, methods of sampling and test methods” for these higher ethanol blends. In the foreword, the bureau notes that ethanol is an “alternative fuel source” and says higher blending is being pursued to reduce emissions, improve environmental performance, encourage Make in India products and cut the import bill. It also states that “there are plans to ethanol blend higher than 20 percent” and that E20 was implemented across the country in 2025.

The standard is important because it creates the technical base for the next generation of petrol blends. It defines E22, E25, E27 and E30 as mixtures of anhydrous ethanol meeting IS 15464 with ethanol-free motor gasoline meeting IS 2796 in specified proportions. It also requires retail visibility, saying dispensing pumps should be clearly labelled, with outlets marking fuels as “E22 PETROL,” “E25 PETROL,” “E27 PETROL” and “E30 PETROL” as applicable.

That makes the move operationally relevant for fuel retailers, even if it does not by itself amount to an immediate nationwide rollout mandate. The standard also pushes compliance upstream, requiring refineries to issue a quality certificate for each batch and allowing additives only under prescribed conditions. In other words, the transition is framed as a standards-and-certification exercise first, with retail adaptation to follow.

Industry body All India Distillers’ Association welcomed the development, calling the publication of BIS standards for E22 to E30 fuels “a significant and timely step towards advancing India’s ethanol blending roadmap”. In its statement, AIDA said the move is “not just a technical notification but a progressive and forward-looking step” that reinforces the government’s long-term commitment to higher ethanol adoption, lower crude dependence and a cleaner mobility ecosystem.

AIDA also highlighted E25 as an interim relief point for the industry because it can help absorb current surplus sugar and ethanol production capacities. The association said the longer-term target should move decisively toward E85 and E100, arguing that flex-fuel vehicles could become the key enabler for higher ethanol consumption and a sustainable domestic biofuels market. It said India’s ethanol programme will increasingly depend on “the growth of flex-fuel mobility and a supportive ecosystem for higher ethanol usage”.

Why it matters

The notification deepens the policy case for ethanol beyond E20 and gives automakers, refiners and fuel testers a common specification to work from. It also aligns with the government’s broader biofuel narrative, which has repeatedly linked higher ethanol use with energy security and lower oil-import dependence. For consumers, the near-term change is likely to be more visible in fuel labelling and product segregation than in an overnight switch at every pump.

The longer-run question is whether India can move from standards to scale. AIDA’s push for E85 and E100 shows where the industry wants the story to go, but the BIS paper itself is still focused on the technical groundwork for E22-E30.

The move is very likely to nudge automakers toward a broader flex-fuel strategy, especially if India eventually moves toward E85 and E100. While the BIS specification is still a technical framework for fixed ethanol blends, it clearly signals that higher alcohol content in petrol is no longer a distant policy idea but part of the near-term fuel roadmap. For carmakers, that means more work on engine calibration, fuel-system compatibility and cold-start performance, while for the industry it strengthens the case for flex-fuel ICEs that can handle a wider range of ethanol blends.