Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has defended the use of ethanol-blended petrol, questioning the recent surge in criticism of higher ethanol blends and noting that E20 fuel has been available in India for nearly two years.

In a post on social media, Puri said the timing of the debate over ethanol-blended fuel warranted attention, pointing out that India imports more than 85% of its crude oil and accounts for around 30% of global oil demand growth,

He said India had taken a major step towards reducing its dependence on imported crude by introducing E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles on June 5. The fuel, priced about ₹20 per litre lower than regular E20 petrol, was launched alongside flex-fuel cars and motorcycles.

According to the minister, criticism of ethanol-blended fuels intensified soon after the rollout of E85 fuel.