Ethanol 2.0 policies key for India to match Brazil as a biofuel superpower

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme 2.0 is essential because the International Energy Agency forecasts India to be the biggest contributor to global oil demand in the years ahead

Ethanol — a combination of two carbon, six hydrogen, and one oxygen atoms — is arguably India's favourite. When blended with fermented grapes or barley, it drives your spirits higher; when mixed with petrol, it powers your Dzire or Innova. 

Along the way, over the last decade, the fuel has cleaned the air, saved Rs 1.1 trillion in foreign exchange by substituting imported crude oil, and created a new revenue stream for farmers, the government says. The fuel has also saved 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in emissions in the decade to 2024. 

But it has been a