India has approved the legal use of 100% ethanol as a petrol alternative, aiming to cut fossil fuel dependence and lower carbon emissions from transportation. Automakers like Toyota, Suzuki, Hyundai, and MG are already developing ethanol-compatible vehicles. The policy also supports farmers by using sugarcane-based feedstock, blending environmental goals with economic benefits for agriculture. While ethanol reduces tailpipe CO2 compared to petrol, its full lifecycle emissions depend on how the feedstock is grown and processed. The government plans to build refueling infrastructure to support widespread adoption. This move puts India among a small group of countries pursuing large-scale biofuel deployment, though questions remain about land use and net carbon savings across the supply chain.
