E20 Blending Programme drawn as an Experiment? Attorney General's Office Issues Clarification

The Office of the Attorney General for India has issued a clarification regarding media reports published on 30th June 2026 on the proceedings before the Supreme Court in the Special Leave Petition filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and other Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) concerning ethanol allocation. 

According to the clarification, certain reports stated that the Government's 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) Programme was described before the Supreme Court as "still an ongoing experiment" and that "the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year." The Office of the Attorney General stated that the said reports were incorrect and did not reflect the submissions made before the Court. 

Attorney General’s Submission Before Supreme Court 

The clarification states that the Attorney General for India informed the Supreme Court regarding pendency of similar writ petitions before High Courts involving issues relating to allocation of ethanol to Dedicated Ethanol Plants. It was submitted that Transfer Petitions are being filed to transfer these matters to the Supreme Court so that common questions of law arising from the same contractual framework can be considered together, avoiding parallel proceedings and the possibility of conflicting decisions. 

The submission also stated that such a course would facilitate expeditious resolution of the litigation so that ethanol supplies to Oil Marketing Companies for maintaining 20% blending with petrol throughout the year are not affected under the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme. 

Clarification on the E20 Programme 

The Office of the Attorney General further stated that no submission was made before the Supreme Court describing the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme or the E20 blending programme as an "experiment." It further clarified that any such suggestion does not represent the submissions made on behalf of the Union of India. 

Status Quo on Ethanol Allocation 

According to the clarification, after considering these submissions, the Supreme Court observed that the proposed Transfer Petitions be filed and that status quo be maintained in respect of ethanol allocation for the current Ethanol Supply Year (2025–26).