Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Pasha Patel Defends Ethanol, Citing India’s Long Power Alcohol Legacy
Pasha Patel spoke in favor of using ethanol as a fuel.
He said people should not criticize ethanol without learning about it.
Ethanol can be made from sugarcane and used to help power vehicles.
Brazil began making a fuel called power alcohol in the 1930s.
Patel said India was also working on it around the same time in Mysore.
He said Jawaharlal Nehru understood that India needed power alcohol.
Patel credited Atal Bihari Vajpayee with starting a 5% ethanol-blending program in petrol.
He also said ethanol producers should answer claims made against the fuel.
Pasha Patel accused ethanol opponents of spreading misinformation and urged debate based on knowledge.
He said Brazil began producing power alcohol from sugarcane in the 1930s.
Patel highlighted Mysore’s sugar industry, which produced power alcohol by 1940 and secured a related law by 1945.
He cited Jawaharlal Nehru’s view that India needed power alcohol but faced opposition from Burmah-Shell.
Patel credited Atal Bihari Vajpayee with introducing 5% ethanol blending and defended later E10 and E20 adoption.
- Who
- Pasha Patel, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Agricultural Price Commission and Executive Chairman of the Chief Minister's Environment and Sustainable Development Task Force.
- What
- Patel defended ethanol and described India's historical efforts to produce and blend it with petrol.
- When
- The remarks were made at the Bharat Ethanol Forum; the article does not provide a date.
- Where
- Mumbai, India.
- Why
- Patel said misinformation was being used to discredit ethanol and urged producers to respond to the criticism.
Ethanol Supporters
Ethanol Critics
Ethanol’s role in India’s fuel system
Ethanol Supporters
Patel says ethanol has a long Indian history, can be made from sugarcane, and should not be discredited through misinformation.
Ethanol Critics
Patel says an opposition campaign is seeking to block the expansion of ethanol, including plans for flex-fuel engines using 100% ethanol; the article does not detail critics’ specific arguments.
Government blending policy
Ethanol Supporters
Patel supports the 5% blending decision associated with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and says E10 and E20 created no problems.
Ethanol Critics
The article reports that some opponents objected when Narendra Modi announced an ambition for flex-fuel engines running on 100% ethanol.
- Speaker
- Pasha Patel, a former BJP MLC and Maharashtra government official.
- Event
- Bharat Ethanol Forum: Fuelling Bharat, Powering Growth.
- Ethanol origins
- Patel said Brazil began producing power alcohol in the 1930s.
- Indian development
- A sugar factory in Mandya began producing power alcohol by 1940 and secured a law by 1945, according to Patel.
- Nehru reference
- Patel cited The Discovery of India as saying India needed power alcohol but could not produce it while Burmah-Shell controlled oil marketing.
- Blending target
- Patel credited Atal Bihari Vajpayee with deciding to blend 5% ethanol into petrol.
- Later blends
- Patel said E10 and E20 were introduced without problems, in his account.