India is making big noise in the world of clean fuel! Early this year, India reached its goal of mixing 20% ethanol—a fuel made from plants like corn and sugarcane—into its gasoline, beating the deadline by five years. This means India joins countries like Brazil, Japan, and Italy, all champions of ethanol, in pushing biofuels at the COP30 climate summit.

Brazil, famous for putting 27% ethanol in its petrol, is planning to go even higher. But India’s fast journey shows the spicy side of this green mission. Some drivers in India say their car’s fuel mileage is dropping and older engines are having trouble. Vijay Ramakrishnan, a businessman from Chennai, told us, “I think it’s good for the environment, but I’ve noticed a drop in mileage in my vehicle in recent months. Given how expensive fuel already is this further drop is only adding to my costs.” Another voice, Amit Khare, a popular automotive YouTuber, shared, “E5 is the best fuel, E10 is manageable, but E20 has given a lot of trouble.”

On the farming front, there’s also a puzzle. Indian farmers like Ramandeep Mann from Punjab planted more corn hoping to sell it for ethanol. But prices fell when the government started using a lot of rice for ethanol too. "It’s good that the government is tackling climate change," Ramandeep says, "but farmers and their prices should come first."

Experts like Ramya Natarajan from Bangalore's Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy say using crops for ethanol can sometimes push out food crops or even cause more pollution than it saves. Growing these crops needs fertilizer and fuel, adding to carbon footprints.

So, what’s the solution? Purva Jain from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says biofuels can be great when made from waste or leftovers, but maybe pushing electric vehicles fast is an even cleaner path.

Still, ethanol makers urge the government to keep raising the ethanol blend to keep their industry alive. CK Jain, president of the Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association, warns, “We need to have higher blending as soon as possible, otherwise the industry will go into deep financial trouble.”

Others want balance. Ramya Natarajan suggests a 10% ethanol blend could be the sweet spot for now. And Amit Khare wants choices for drivers: "The government can bring E20 or even up to E85 programs on top of that, that’s completely fine. But consumers need to be given the option."

India’s ethanol story is bubbling with progress, problems, and promises. Can it fuel a cleaner future while keeping engines happy and farmers thriving? Only time will tell!

Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123

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