India, July 31 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Feedstock (ESY 2025-26)
Ethanol price paid
Maize
Rs.71.86/litre
Sugarcane Juice/Syrup
Rs.65.61/litre
Damaged Foodgrains
Rs.64.00/litre
B-heavy Molasses
Rs.60.73/litre
FCI Rice
Rs.60.32/litre
C-heavy Molasses
Rs.57.97/litre
The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme is a key national initiative to enhance India's energy security, reduce dependence on imported crude oil and support farmers while safeguarding food security. Certain recent claims have presented an incomplete and misleading picture of the programme. The following clarifications address these issues and set out the factual position.
Claim: The Government sold FCI rice worth Rs.37/kg to distilleries at Rs.23/kg, causing a loss of Rs.10,000 crore. The Government has also admitted that ethanol is more expensive than petrol, so E20 survives only because taxpayers subsidise it.
No compromise on food security - ethanol never comes at the cost of the poor
Rice was not given special treatment
The programme does not depend on rice. It uses whichever approved feedstock is available.
The real question isn't whether ethanol is cheaper - it's whether India is better protected
Ethanol blending isn't a taxpayer subsidy. It's India's energy insurance and it has already delivered when the crisis hit.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
