The Supreme Court on August 31, 2026, declined to entertain a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of the percentage of ethanol blended in petrol sold at fuel stations across India.
A Bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale was hearing a petition filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami. The petitioner sought directions requiring petrol pumps to display the exact ethanol percentage on dispensing nozzles and also mention the information on fuel bills and receipts.
The Court, however, did not examine the substantive prayers and permitted the petitioner to approach the competent High Court with his grievance.
The petition raised concerns about consumers being unable to determine the ethanol content of the petrol they purchase.
Goswami told the Bench that there was no information about ethanol content on fuel receipts and argued that consumers were entitled to know the composition of the fuel being sold to them.
“See the receipt, there is no mention of ethanol. I have the right to know.”
The petitioner maintained that he was not seeking to challenge the government's ethanol-blending policy itself, but was seeking transparency about the fuel being supplied to consumers.
The petition also sought a uniform requirement for petrol pumps to display ethanol content clearly on every dispensing nozzle.
Apart from labelling requirements, the plea sought a publicly accessible database showing the compatibility of different vehicles with various ethanol blends. It proposed that information be available according to the manufacturer, model, engine type and year of manufacture.
The petitioner also sought consideration of a framework for older vehicles that may not be compatible with higher ethanol blends. Among the other prayers was a proposal for an expert committee to examine vehicle compatibility, fuel efficiency, engine life, maintenance costs, warranty concerns and environmental issues connected with ethanol blending.
The Attorney General for India, R. Venkataramani, opposed the petition and referred to earlier proceedings concerning challenges to the ethanol-blending policy.
The Bench also questioned the petitioner about approaching the Supreme Court directly instead of moving the concerned High Court.
After hearing the parties, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the petition. The Court granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the competent High Court for appropriate relief.
The matter was accordingly disposed of without the Supreme Court issuing directions for mandatory disclosure of ethanol content on petrol pumps, dispensing nozzles or fuel receipts.
Case Details:
Case Title: Narendra Kumar Goswami v. Union of India
Case No.: W.P.(C) No. 887/2026
Bench: Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale
Decision: August 31, 2026
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