The government has approved a proposal to bring forward the target of blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol by five years to 2025-26. At present, about 10 per cent of ethanol is blended in petrol.
As part of the amendments to the National Policy on Bio-fuels, the cabinet also allowed more feed-stocks for the production of bio-fuels under the Make in India programme by units located in Special Economic Zones (SEZ)/ Export Oriented Units (EoUs).
The amendment also allows granting of permission for export of biofuels in specific cases. These decisions will help India, which depends on imports to meet 85 per cent of its oil needs, to cut its reliance on overseas shipments.
