No Commitments on Ethanol Import For Fuel Blending in India-US Trade Talks: Govt

New Delhi: The government on Thursday clarified that no concessions or commitments have been made regarding the import of ethanol from the United States for fuel blending under ongoing India-US trade pact discussions, as per reports.

India’s fuel blending programme and ethanol procurement remain guided solely by the country’s domestic policy requirements, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry rejected recent media reports claiming that India is importing, or plans to import, large volumes of ethanol from the US for blending purposes, describing such claims as “baseless and factually incorrect.”

Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Thursday dismissed claims that the government plans to blend ethanol with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), calling them "completely false and irresponsible" after former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shared a social media post citing a media report on the issue.

In a post on social media, the Civil Aviation Minister said there is no proposal to blend ethanol with ATF and clarified that ethanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are two entirely different fuels.

"The claim that the Government plans to blend ethanol with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is completely false and irresponsible. There is no such proposal," Kinjarapu said.

The Minister further said, “Ethanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are entirely different and should not be conflated.”

According to the Minister, "SAF is an internationally certified aviation fuel recognised by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and adopted globally. It undergoes rigorous testing and meets stringent global safety standards."

Kinjarapu also cautioned against spreading misinformation on aviation safety, saying such claims only create unnecessary concern among passengers.

"Spreading misinformation on aviation safety only creates needless anxiety among air travellers. Passenger safety remains the Government's highest priority," he said.

The clarification came after former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shared a media report on social media and questioned the safety of using what he described as "adulterated aviation fuel."

Quoting the report, Kejriwal wrote, "Read this article. The engine of ur flight just might stop in the air. Will u risk flying in an aircraft running on adulterated aviation fuel? Time to have an educated and competent govt."

Responding to the remarks, the Civil Aviation Minister reiterated that there is no government proposal to mix ethanol with aviation turbine fuel and stressed that SAF should not be confused with ethanol.

The Minister maintained that Sustainable Aviation Fuel follows internationally accepted certification and safety standards and said passenger safety continues to remain the government's top priority.

(With inputs from agencies)