Ethanol Push: India Eyes Domestic Cooking Alternative

Petroleum Industry Pushes Ethanol as Clean Cooking Fuel to Reduce LPG Imports​

Focus on Household Energy Transition Gains Momentum​

New Delhi, March 24: The petroleum industry has called on stakeholders to accelerate the development of ethanol as a clean cooking fuel for Indian households, aiming to reduce dependence on imported liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and expand the country’s biofuel ecosystem.

The appeal was made by R S Ravi, Director (Downstream) at the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), during the All India Distillers' Association (AIDA) conference on Tuesday. He highlighted ongoing efforts to design ethanol-based cooking solutions and stressed the need for industry-wide collaboration.

Ethanol Stove Development Underway​

Ravi noted that research institutions, including the LPG Equipment Research Centre (LERC) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are actively working on ethanol-compatible cooking stoves. Prototypes of these stoves are expected to be ready soon, marking a key step toward cleaner household energy alternatives.

He emphasized that ethanol stoves could emerge as a viable option, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions, complementing or partially replacing LPG usage.

Industry Asked to Build Supply Chain and Manufacturing Ecosystem​

Calling for active participation from distillers, Ravi urged the All India Distillers Association (IDA) and its members to play a crucial role in scaling the initiative.

He identified two priority areas:

• Collaborating with manufacturers to scale up production of ethanol-based cooking stoves
• Developing an efficient supply chain to enable direct delivery of ethanol to households

Ravi underlined that the current bulk supply model of ethanol would need to evolve significantly to support household-level consumption.

“This is a different game. Currently, the way you are supporting the oil industry is by supplying in bulk. This needs to change,” he said, adding that the design and delivery format of ethanol would be critical to the initiative’s success.

Call for Innovation in Distribution and Delivery​

The transition to ethanol as a cooking fuel will require new logistics frameworks, including packaging, dispensing formats, and last-mile delivery systems. Ravi invited suggestions from industry players on making ethanol-based cooking practical and scalable across India.

“Can AIDA come forward and give us ideas in terms of how we can make ethanol as a cooking fuel possible in India?” he said.

Backed by Ethanol Blending Success in Petrol​

The push for ethanol-based cooking comes amid India’s progress in ethanol blending in petrol. The country has successfully rolled out 20 percent ethanol blending (E20), supported by the distillery sector.

Ravi also pointed to a recent government notification mandating the sale of E20 petrol with a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95 from April 1, 2026. The move is expected to improve vehicle performance and efficiency while addressing concerns linked to lower-octane blends.

Broader Biofuel Expansion Plans​

In addition to cooking fuel, Ravi urged the ethanol industry to focus on:

• Accelerating production of isobutanol for diesel blending
• Advancing technologies for ethanol-to-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

However, he placed particular emphasis on the potential of ethanol in the household cooking segment as a transformative step.

Strengthening Energy Security and Sustainability​

India has been actively promoting ethanol blending to reduce crude oil imports, lower emissions, conserve foreign exchange, and support farmers. Expanding ethanol use into cooking fuel could further diversify demand and strengthen energy security.

Ravi concluded by calling for coordinated efforts between the oil and distillery industries to turn ethanol-based cooking into a practical and scalable solution across the country.