Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has warned that petrol and diesel vehicles have no future due to escalating air pollution concerns and India’s heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports. His comments come amid a wide debate over whether alternative fuels can capture a significant part of the automotive supply chain.
Gadkari appealed directly to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and urged them to consider switching from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives. “There is no future for diesel and petrol vehicles. If you (OEMs) are planning to expand only in this direction, then as a friend I can say that your future is not good,” he said at the Busworld India Conclave 2026 on April 28, ET reported.
He urged manufacturers and fleet operators to accelerate the transition to cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, CNG, LNG and electric fleets.
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“We import fossil fuels worth ₹22 million million crowns. It is not only an economic challenge but also a major pollution problem. Our policy is: import substitute, cost effective, pollution free and domestic,” Gadkari he saidemphasizing the urgency of self-reliance.
In FY25, India imported about 242.4 million tonnes of crude oil, with import dependency hovering close to 89%, reinforcing the rationale for Gadkari’s emphasis on domestic fuels replacing imports.
The fuel of the future
At the conclave, Gadkari highlighted hydrogen as the “fuel of the future” and revealed that the ministry had started pilot projects with hydrogen trucks and buses. These initiatives in collaboration with Tata Motors, Volvo, Indian Oil, BPCL and NTPC cover 10 routes across the country.
These hydrogen pilots cover 10 corridors such as Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Pune-Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, supported by nine filling stations and surroundings. ₹He shared Rs 500 crore in budgetary support under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
On flex-fuel options, he argued that ethanol is a key alternative, adding that India produces it from broken rice, maize, bamboo, rice straw, sugarcane and molasses. Noting the “huge potential” of ethanol, Gadkari pointed out that 20% blending is already underway, with the government now developing flex engines.
India has already officially met its goal of making E20 fuel available across the country by 2025 as outlined in the NITI Aayog Roadmap; the next phase under discussion is the gradual introduction of E85 in ethanol surplus states.
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Gadkari’s remarks at the conclave are in line with the Centre’s proposed overhaul of the vehicle fuel framework, which aims to introduce higher ethanol blends such as E85 and E100. As reported by Reuters, the strategy seeks to move beyond the E20 benchmark, promote regulatory space for vehicles compatible with much higher ethanol content and reduce reliance on imported oil.
