E20: No pressure on auto companies to hide fact, says govt

NEW DELHI: The government has denied claims that automobile companies are under pressure to conceal the truth about E20 petrol.

"India's automobile manufacturers are independent listed companies with legal and regulatory obligations to their customers," the oil ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "They cannot conceal widespread vehicle defects without exposing themselves to warranty claims, product liability, regulatory action and serious reputational damage."

Vehicle manufacturers "continue to honour warranties for E20-compatible vehicles, something they would not do if they believed E20 was causing systemic engine damage," the ministry added.


Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that executives of nine automobile companies had told him E20 fuel was unsafe for vehicles manufactured before 2023 but could not say so publicly due to government pressure.

"Had automobile manufacturers not been satisfied with the scientific validation, they would neither have certified E20-compatible vehicles nor continued to honour warranty obligations," the oil ministry said on Thursday, adding that the companies "have confidence in the extensive testing that preceded the rollout."

The ministry said the industry's position has also been "expressed publicly and transparently". On 4 July 2026, senior executives from Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Hyundai Motor India, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto jointly addressed the media and reaffirmed that E20 was introduced only after rigorous testing and extensive validation, it said.

The government has repeatedly rejected claims that E20 damages engines. "Had ethanol blending been causing systemic damage to engines or fuel systems, such failures would have resulted in large-scale warranty claims, service campaigns and widespread consumer complaints, none of which have been reported," the oil ministry said.