The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has disputed a Karnataka government claim that petrol sold at certain retail outlets contained 26–31% ethanol. In a statement dated 7 November 2026, the ministry cited tests by public-sector oil marketing companies and said their E20 petrol complied with the applicable Bureau of Indian Standards specification.
According to the ministry, 893 samples drawn across 27 states and union territories were tested, with all results within the prescribed 19–21% ethanol range. It also said 56 samples from Karnataka complied with the standard. These are the oil companies' reported test outcomes, not an independent resolution of the disagreement.
Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum challenged the procedure used for Karnataka's October sampling exercise. They said the exercise was conducted without oil-company representatives and that the companies had not received the corresponding retained samples or full laboratory records.
The ministry questioned whether the state's reported readings had been determined using the prescribed test methodology. The oil companies sought joint sampling and independent testing. Until the disputed findings are checked under an agreed procedure, the central and state positions remain competing claims rather than a settled conclusion.