India's ethanol blending program has saved Rs 99,014 crore in foreign exchange since 2014, according to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The program has enabled the country to substitute 17.3 million metric tonnes of imported crude oil and cut carbon emissions by 51.9 million metric tonnes. The cumulative payments to ethanol distillers have reached Rs 1.45 trillion, with farmers receiving Rs 87,558 crore. E20 petrol, blended with 20% ethanol, is available at over 15,600 outlets, and E100 fuel, with a high-octane rating ideal for high-performance engines, was launched in March.