If Ethanol Can Power Racing Cars Across the World, Why Can’t India Use It?

One of the biggest criticisms of ethanol-blended petrol in India is that it delivers slightly lower mileage than conventional petrol. Social media is flooded with debates over whether E20 fuel reduces fuel efficiency by a few kilometres per litre.

But perhaps we are asking the wrong question.

When someone buys a luxury performance sedan, or one SUV, does the first question they ask the dealer concern mileage?

Certainly not.

People invest in premium automobiles for performance, acceleration, engineering, safety, comfort and driving pleasure. Mileage is rarely the deciding factor.

Now consider the world of motorsport.

Some of the fastest racing cars on the planet use ethanol-based fuels because ethanol is a high-octane, high-performance fuel. Racing engineers don’t select fuel based on mileage; they choose it for power, efficiency, engine performance and reliability under extreme conditions.

If ethanol can perform brilliantly on the world’s toughest racing circuits, why should Indians view it only through the narrow lens of fuel economy?

Recently, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri addressed this very issue while defending India’s ethanol-blending programme. He pointed out that ethanol is used even in racing cars and helps improve acceleration, while acknowledging that there may be a marginal reduction in mileage.

His remark deserves serious attention.

For decades, India has remained heavily dependent on imported crude oil. Every fluctuation in global oil prices affects the country’s economy, widens the import bill and impacts consumers. Reducing this dependence is not merely an economic objective—it is a strategic national priority.

This is where ethanol becomes much more than a transport fuel.

Every litre of ethanol blended with petrol reduces crude oil imports, saves valuable foreign exchange, creates demand for domestically produced agricultural feedstock and strengthens India’s energy security.

The benefits extend all the way to India’s villages.

Sugarcane farmers, maize growers and other agricultural producers gain additional markets for their produce. Distilleries create rural employment. The biofuel industry attracts fresh investment. The entire value chain contributes to economic growth while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Then there is the environmental dividend.

Ethanol burns cleaner than conventional petrol and contributes to lower tailpipe emissions. While no fuel is entirely free of environmental impact, ethanol represents an important bridge towards cleaner mobility as India gradually transitions to electric vehicles, hydrogen and other future technologies.

Critics often focus exclusively on the slight reduction in mileage.

But should national fuel policy be determined solely by kilometres per litre?

Consumers routinely accept lower mileage in exchange for greater power, larger engines, automatic transmissions, SUVs and luxury vehicles. Nobody expects a high-performance sports car to deliver the fuel economy of a compact hatchback.

Why then should ethanol be held to a completely different standard?

The real question is not whether E20 delivers one or two kilometres less per litre.

The real question is whether India should continue importing billions of dollars’ worth of crude oil when a viable, domestically produced alternative is readily available.

The answer is obvious.

Countries across the world are investing heavily in sustainable fuels. Motorsport has already demonstrated that ethanol is not merely an “alternative fuel” but a technologically advanced fuel capable of delivering world-class performance.

India has already emerged as one of the world’s leading ethanol producers. It has developed blending infrastructure, encouraged investment in biofuel production and demonstrated political commitment to cleaner fuels.

The next step is changing public perception.

Instead of asking, “How much mileage does ethanol give?” perhaps we should ask, “How much does ethanol save the nation?”

If the answer includes lower oil imports, higher farmer incomes, stronger energy security, cleaner air and a more self-reliant economy, then the debate deserves a much broader perspective.

For a nation of 1.4 billion people aspiring to become an energy-secure global economic power, mileage cannot be the only measure of success.

After all, the world’s fastest racing cars are not judged by how many kilometres they travel on a litre of fuel.

They are judged by how well they perform.

Perhaps it is time India evaluated ethanol the same way—not merely as a fuel, but as an investment in performance, sustainability and national progress.