Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:26am on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran and Department of Economic Affairs consultant Akash Poojari have proposed restoring E10 petrol for older two-wheelers alongside E20, amid continuing concerns over ethanol’s impact on ageing vehicle components. In a column published in The Indian Express, they argued that India’s ethanol policy should look beyond whether E20 works in older vehicles and assess the broader food-versus-fuel trade-off. They said higher ethanol blending could require more agricultural land and water, potentially affecting food and feed production and other agricultural uses. The economists urged India to carefully weigh these trade-offs before increasing ethanol blending beyond 20%, highlighting the need to balance energy goals with agricultural and resource priorities. (PC: India Today)
