India introduced E100 flex-fuel vehicles, 12 cos to make, says Gadkari
This story was originally published at 14:53 IST on 13 June 2026
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--Minister Gadkari: Drone technology should be used to spray fertilisers
--Minister Gadkari: See AI integration increasing sugarcane output
--CONTEXT: Comments by Road Minister Gadkari at bioenergy event
--Minister Gadkari: Urge sugar industry to use water judiciously
--Minister Gadkari: Cost for sugarcane production has to be lower
--Minister Gadkari: 15% isobutanol can be blended with diesel
--Minister Gadkari: Despite introduction of biofuels, fossil fuel use high
--Minister Gadkari: Biomass bitumen better than petroleum bitumen
--Minister Gadkari: Ethanol can now be used to make aviation fuel
--Minister Gadkari: India can export sustainable aviation fuel
--Minister Gadkari: 12 cos to come up with vehicles running on 100% ethanol
MUMBAI – India has successfully introduced E100--100% ethanol--compatible flex-fuel vehicles and about 12 companies such as Tata Motors, Hyundai Motor, Toyota, and many others are likely to come up with these vehicles, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said at the Sugar – Ethanol & Bioenergy Conference in Mumbai Saturday. Cars, scooters and many other vehicles can now use 100% biofuel, he said.
Three new motorcycles which have a flex engine which can run on either petrol or biofuel have been launched, Gadkari said. Biofuels have also contributed to helping the economic viability of the agricultural sector, he said.
Meanwhile, Gadkari said that despite the introduction of biofuels, fossil fuel use is high, which is why using biofuel is all the more important. "We are the second-largest importer of fossil fuels. Our oil imports are 87% of the total department's imports," he said.
The government is also actively evaluating blending 15% isobutanol with diesel for another kind of biofuel, Gadkari said. Ethanol can also be used to make sustainable aviation fuel and India could be the exporter of sustainable aviation fuel, he said.
Talking about diversification of feedstocks for biofuels, he said that ethanol is now not only being made using sugarcane juice or molasses, but also sugarcane syrup. Praj Industries has successfully been able to come up with a technology where sugarcane syrup can be directly used to make ethanol, he said. The sugarcane syrup can be made during the peak production season and stored for six months.
However, this will require India to increase sugarcane productivity and AI integration will increase sugarcane output.
Also, the Union minister urged the sugar industry to help in reducing the cost of production and use drones to spray fertilisers, which will lower wastage. Since sugarcane requires ample water for cultivation, he has also asked the industry to use water judiciously without much wastage. End
Reported by Taniva Singha Roy
Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury
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