India has already grown used to ethanol quietly mixing with the petrol in its cars and motorcycles, but the next stop for this eco-friendly fuel could be a lot closer to home, quite literally the kitchen. The government is preparing a plan under which ethanol would be pushed as a serious cooking fuel for ordinary households. If it works, families could lean far less on the LPG cylinder for their daily cooking.
What the government is actually planning
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is currently working on a new Alternative Clean Cooking Policy. The aim is straightforward: to build up ethanol as a major household cooking fuel that stands alongside LPG rather than replacing it overnight. An industry official, speaking on the condition of not being named, said ethanol will be given special prominence in this policy and that the framework could be ready by September. The ministry, however, has not officially confirmed any of this yet.
The push is not driven by the environment alone; there is a big savings calculation behind it too. According to a report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), if biogas and other green fuels replace LPG in Indian kitchens, the country could save more than ₹2 lakh crore by the year 2050.
How ordinary households would get relief
The government wants everyday consumers to adopt ethanol cooking without hesitation, so it is looking at ways to make it affordable. A special subsidy, capital support or regular financial assistance are all under consideration. Beyond subsidies, work is also going on to set up a full supply chain and distribution network so that ethanol reaches homes reliably. Talks over the entire policy are already underway with the industry that supplies ethanol.
Does India even have enough ethanol
Ethanol is a completely green fuel, and that is its biggest selling point. Back in April this year, it also emerged that ethanol-powered cooking stoves were being tested in the country. The encouraging part is that ethanol availability in India keeps rising. A CareEdge Ratings report released in May says the country's ethanol production capacity has already crossed 20 billion litres a year.
Another 4 billion litres will be added during the current financial year. At present, roughly 11 billion litres of ethanol goes into blending with petrol, while the liquor, pharmaceutical and chemical industries together consume around 3 to 3.5 billion litres. The striking part is that even after all this use, about 7 billion litres of ethanol is left over each year, and it is this surplus that the government now wants to route into the kitchen.
