Key facts
- India launched an E85 fuel blend with an 85% ethanol component.
- The initiative aims to reduce India's dependence on imported oil.
- India is the world's third-largest crude importer.
- Flex-fuel vehicles can operate on blends from E20 up to E100.
- Maruti Suzuki launched India's first flex-fuel passenger vehicle.
India has officially launched an E85 fuel blend, featuring an 85% ethanol component, as part of its fuel flex mobility program. This initiative is designed to decrease the nation's dependence on imported oil, as India ranks as the world's third-largest crude importer. The launch ceremony took place in New Delhi, attended by India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. The previous day, Puri also inaugurated India's first flex-fuel passenger vehicle, manufactured by Maruti Suzuki. Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to operate on a spectrum of ethanol-petrol blends, ranging from E20 up to E100.