Decoding India's Biofuel Policy

Introduction

Recently, India has advanced the target of 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol by Ethanol Supply Year 2025-26 (December to November). The Ethanol Blended Petrol program aims to;

• Protect the economic interests of farmers
• Reduce import bill and increase self-reliance
• Lowered CO2 emissions, cleaner environment
• Encouraging Ease of Doing Business through Technology

Bio-fuels might seem like a viable solution towards reducing India's reliance on imports to meet its crude requirements and to reduce Greenhouse Gas ('GHG') emissions. Is it? – there may not be an easy answer. It would be relevant to examine the present legal and policy landscape concerning bio-fuels in India. This article aims to decode India's Biofuels Policy and examine the regulatory roadmap, and identify the issues in the context of the larger picture.