India Mandates 95-Octane Petrol from April 2026: What You Need To Know
New Rule for Petrol in India: 95-Octane Rating Becomes Mandatory from April
Starting April 1, 2026, a new petrol rule will come into effect across India. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has decided that all petrol sold in the country must now have a minimum octane rating of 95. This change comes one year after India introduced E20 fuel, which contains 20% ethanol mixed with petrol. The aim of this move is to improve fuel quality while helping engines run cleaner and reducing India’s dependence on imported oil.
What Octane Rating Means?
When you visit a petrol pump, you may notice numbers such as 91 or 95 written on fuel dispensers. These numbers show the octane rating of petrol. In simple terms, octane rating tells us how smoothly fuel burns inside an engine.
Fuel with a higher octane rating burns in a more controlled way. This helps prevent engine knocking, which happens when fuel burns unevenly and creates unwanted vibration or noise inside the engine.
At present, regular petrol in India usually has an octane rating between 91 and 92. With the wider use of ethanol blending, the fuel quality naturally improves. Ethanol itself has a very high octane value of around 108. When mixed with petrol, it increases the overall rating of the fuel. Experts believe that E20 petrol already reaches close to 97 or 98 octane in many cases.
New Quality Standards for Petrol Supply
Along with increasing the octane level, the government is also introducing stricter fuel quality checks through the Bureau of Indian Standards, also known as BIS.
This step is important because ethanol can absorb moisture if fuel storage and transport are not handled properly. Water or impurities in fuel can affect engine performance over time. With uniform standards in place, authorities want to ensure that petrol quality remains the same at every fuel station across the country.
This policy also supports India’s larger plan to increase ethanol production using crops such as sugarcane and maize grown by Indian farmers. Using locally produced fuel helps reduce crude oil imports and supports rural agriculture at the same time.
How This Change May Affect Your Car
For most modern cars and two-wheelers, higher-octane petrol should help engines run smoother and more efficiently. Many newer vehicles are already designed to work with ethanol-blended fuel.
Owners of older vehicles may need to check compatibility with E20 petrol. Some manufacturers have started offering upgrade solutions or engine adjustments to help older engines adapt better to the new fuel mix.
Overall, drivers are unlikely to notice major changes during daily driving, but long-term engine efficiency and fuel quality are expected to improve.
Expert View:
For many years, fuel quality in India remained lower than global standards. This update brings the country closer to international fuel norms followed in developed markets.
Higher-quality fuel allows modern engines to perform more efficiently and may also help reduce emissions over time. However, successful implementation depends on proper storage and handling at fuel stations since ethanol-blended petrol is more sensitive to contamination.
If fuel quality remains consistent nationwide, this change can benefit vehicle owners, support farmers through ethanol production, and reduce environmental impact. Over time, better fuel standards may also encourage carmakers to introduce more advanced and efficient engine technologies in India.
Hari Babu
I'm Hari Babu, a freelance automotive journalist with over three years of experience. I cover stories from national highways to rural roads and currently serve as Chief Editor at Gaadi Journal.
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