‘Paid campaign’ against E20, ethanol saving billions: Gadkari 

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday hit out at criticism of the government’s ethanol blending programme, describing the uproar over E20 petrol as a “paid campaign” designed to target him politically. Gadkari dismissed fears being spread on social media about the impact of E20 fuel on vehicles.

“The campaign against me was sponsored. Even the Supreme Court has thrown out the petition. There is no factual basis,” he said, addressing the 65th Annual Convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

E20 petrol, containing 20 per cent ethanol mixed with petrol, was introduced nationwide last year, replacing earlier blends of E5 and E10. In recent weeks, sections of vehicle owners and service centres had expressed anxiety that the new blend would reduce mileage and damage older engines.

Gadkari countered these claims, saying all testing agencies, including the Automotive Research Association of India, had confirmed there were no such risks.

The Minister linked the ethanol rollout directly to India’s economic and agricultural priorities. He pointed out that India spends around Rs 22 lakh crore annually on fuel imports and argued that diverting this money into the domestic economy would bring “immense benefits”.

He credited ethanol production from maize and sugarcane with altering the landscape of farming. “Since we decided to produce ethanol from maize, cultivation has tripled in UP, Bihar and across the country,” he said, underlining how the policy has boosted rural livelihoods.

He also emphasised the environmental gains, calling air pollution India’s biggest challenge. Ethanol blending, he said, was a step towards reducing vehicular emissions while creating a global market for Indian automakers working on flex-fuel technology.

Expanding his pitch for cleaner and safer mobility, Gadkari detailed progress on the vehicle scrappage policy. By August 2025, nearly three lakh vehicles had been scrapped, including over 1.4 lakh government cars. Talks with the Finance Ministry were underway to introduce GST rebates for those scrapping old vehicles and buying new ones.

According to him, the scheme could generate 70,000 jobs, cut pollution and recover valuable raw materials while boosting Centre and state revenues by Rs 40,000 crore.

On road safety, Gadkari called India “the world’s most accident-prone country”, with five lakh crashes and 1.5 lakh deaths annually. He announced that the government would reward Rs 25,000 to citizens who take injured victims to hospitals, stressing that nearly 50,000 lives could be saved each year through quick medical response.

He also flagged logistics costs as a pressing concern, saying India’s rates would fall to 9% by December-end, making transport more competitive. With truck and bus demand rising, he insisted that sustainability and safety would remain central to government policy.