New Delhi: Team Bharat said on Monday that it has been invited by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for a follow-up meeting within the next three to four days to continue discussions on consumer choice, fuel pricing and the implementation of India’s Ethanol 20, or E20, fuel policy.
According to a statement issued by Team Bharat, the proposed meeting follows its recent interaction with senior officials of the Ministry, where concerns raised by vehicle owners and consumers were discussed in detail.
The group said the next round of talks would focus on recommendations related to affordability, transparency, consumer choice and the practical implementation of the E20 policy.
Team Bharat also thanked Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for engaging with the group and considering the issues it had raised on behalf of consumers.
The organisation described the invitation for another meeting as a sign that discussions between policymakers and citizen representatives would continue rather than end after a single round of talks — a useful distinction in a fuel-policy debate where, much like mileage figures, the details matter.
During the upcoming meeting, Team Bharat said it intends to place additional concerns received from vehicle owners before the Ministry and reiterate its recommendations for what it describes as a more consumer-focused approach to the implementation of E20 fuel.
The group has framed its concerns around the impact of the transition on vehicle owners, fuel affordability, transparency and the availability of consumer choice.
India’s E20 programme involves petrol blended with 20% ethanol and forms part of the country’s broader efforts to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and increase the use of alternative domestic energy sources.
Team Bharat said it supports continued dialogue with the Government while maintaining that consumers should remain central to discussions over how the policy is implemented.
It added that it views the fresh invitation as part of an ongoing process rather than a final resolution of the issues raised.
The organisation said it hopes continued engagement with the Ministry will result in “practical, balanced and consumer-centric solutions” that take into account both India’s long-term energy objectives and the interests of vehicle owners.
The follow-up meeting could therefore become an important test of how the Government balances its ethanol-blending ambitions with questions being raised by motorists over cost, compatibility, transparency and choice — issues likely to remain part of the wider E20 conversation as the policy reaches more consumers across the country.
