Hurdles in biofuel use: Few vehicles, weak ethanol-blended petrol rollout

Last week, Union Ministers had called for quick adoption of biofuels in the transportation sector

The limited availability of flexible (flex)-fuel vehicles in the Indian market and the slow rollout of ethanol-blended petrol by oil-marketing companies (OMCs) remain major obstacles to achieving widespread use of biofuels in the transportation 

sector in India.

In the past week, two Union ministers have emphasised India’s biofuel potential, arguing that it has the capacity and potential to lead a transition towards widespread biofuel adoption.

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari signalled that this transition is well underway and urged car manufacturers to quickly adapt and introduce new biofuel-run vehicles, lest the government resort to taxing diesel vehicles. Following a public outcry