Industry Body ISMA Defends Ethanol-Blended Fuels

Sugar and bio-fuel industry body Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) in a statement strongly defended India’s ethanol-blending programme.

Refuting the claims about the impact of E20 fuel blend on vehicle engines, the statement by ISMA said the E20 fuel blend, which is petrol mixed with 20 percent ethanol, is tested rigorously by oil marketing companies like HPCL, IOC, BPCL and has been certified as fully compatible for Indian vehicles by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

The statement noted that ethanol-blending was important for the financial health of sugar mills. It ensured timely payments to farmers, and helped manage excess sugar inventories, ultimately stabilizing sugarcane prices and protecting farmer incomes, it said.

India recently announced that it has reached it E20 goal five years ahead of schedule. The news was met with backlash from some consumers regarding the damage that ethanol-blending damaged vehicle engines. Multiple vehicle influencers warned that such fuel can damage parts that supply fuel to the engine, as ethanol is a dry and corrosive fuel.

The government countered the criticisms saying that they lacked “technical foundation”, adding that its own reports found no major engine damage or performance loss.

ISMA added to the defence of E20 by saying, “The recent negative campaign on social media against ethanol-blended fuels is not only misleading but also detrimental to a nationally important programme.”

“Ethanol-blended fuel is not just a technological choice—it is a national imperative. Backed by rigorous scientific validation and decades of global experience, it delivers clear benefits for our farmers, our economy, and our environment,” ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani said in the statement.