India launched retail E85 at 48 public-sector oil-company outlets on June 5, 2026, according to the Petroleum Ministry. The high-ethanol blend was introduced for flex-fuel vehicles, with expansion to 500 outlets by December 2026 and about 5,000 by December 2027 announced as targets.
At the June launch, the ministry described the Indian blend as containing 80-85 per cent ethanol and said it was priced nearly Rs 20 per litre below petrol.
For motorists, the useful comparison is cost per kilometre. The US Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center explains that ethanol-rich fuel contains less energy per unit of volume than petrol and generally produces lower distance per unit of fuel in flex-fuel vehicles.
Consequently, a cheaper litre may need to be weighed against more litres used for the same journey. Actual mileage, the vehicle's engine and the local prices of both fuels determine the saving; the announced price gap alone cannot do so.
Compatibility is equally important. The rollout specifically concerns flex-fuel vehicles and does not establish that an ordinary petrol vehicle approved for a lower ethanol blend can use E85. The fuel label is therefore an engine-compatibility distinction as well as a retail-price proposition.
