Ethanol

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): In a significant policy step aimed at strengthening India's biofuel programme, the Central Government has announced central excise duty exemptions for several higher ethanol-petrol blends, paving the way for wider use of cleaner transportation fuels. As per a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, petrol blended with 22 per cent, 25 per cent, 27 per cent and 30 per cent ethanol will now attract nil central excise duty, subject to compliance with the quality standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The notification expands the existing framework for ethanol-blended fuels by adding new…