NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday talked about the Centre’s ethanol-blending programme, rejecting claims that mixing ethanol with petrol damages vehicles and arguing that the policy has also opened a new avenue for farmers to diversify beyond food production.Speaking at the inaugural session of the Bihar Investor Summit 2026, Gadkari said millions of vehicles had already been operating on ethanol-blended petrol since 2022 without, in his account, widespread complaints of damage.“I challenge anybody to come up with the complaint that his or her vehicle has suffered damage on this account. Of course, those with vested interests may have some other story to tell,” said Gadkari, who holds portfolios of Road Transport and Highways, as quoted by PTI.Gadkari said the policy was designed not merely to reduce dependence on conventional fuel but also to create an additional market for agricultural produce. “We must understand that the decision to blend ethanol with petrol was taken with a view to diversification of agriculture towards energy and power sectors… Our farmers shall no longer remain ‘anna data’ (food producers) but also become ‘urja data’ (energy producers),” he said.According to Gadkari, about 4 crore four-wheelers and 20 crore two-wheelers have been running on petrol blended with ethanol since 2022. He also claimed that major automobile manufacturers had tested vehicles using higher ethanol blends, including 100% ethanol.“Of course, we are importing (conventional fuel) worth Rs 22 lakh crore, and those who feel that their business will get hit are bound to feel bad. But let me tell you, I am the minister in charge of the department concerned; all leading automobile brands have tried running their vehicles even on 100 per cent ethanol. And there have been no complaints,” he said.The minister also linked ethanol production to higher farm incomes, saying the use of corn for ethanol had generated additional earnings for farmers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.“After the Union government took the decision to make ethanol out of corn and the same was used for the aforementioned purposes, it resulted in additional earnings of up to Rs 45,000 crore for farmers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Is it not preferable to serve the interests of those from whom we import (fuel),” he asked.Gadkari cited other examples of efforts to develop alternative fuels, including aviation fuel made using agricultural waste. “We have even made aviation fuel with rice straw. The future belongs to innovation, technology and research. And a state like Bihar has to play a key role in this direction,” he said.
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Turning to Bihar’s investment potential, Gadkari said the state could expand its economic base through sectors such as tourism. He also pointed to international demand for makhana, a crop widely produced in the state.He described Bihar as having significant economic potential and praised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s leadership.“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, the state is bound to scale new heights,” he said.Meanwhile, Choudhary, addressing the summit, appealed to investors to set up businesses in Bihar and assured them of access to a large market if their products met the required standards.
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