- India may mandate isobutanol blending with diesel fuel.
- New rules for truck-trailers to boost electric truck ecosystem.
- Hydrogen-powered bus pilots show positive results, costs vary.
India may soon mandate blending isobutanol with diesel and introduce new rules for truck-trailers as part of efforts to strengthen energy security and reduce carbon emissions.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) summit on Friday, V. Umashankar, secretary at the ministry of road transport and highways, said the proposed blending mandate is being considered seriously and could roll out later this year.
“Bharat Petroleum is already undertaking strategic research for isobutanol blending with diesel. And the results are very encouraging. It is quite likely that the blending mandate will start coming in somewhere later this year. And diesel consumption is almost two times that of petrol consumption. So, blending diesel will have a far greater impact on our energy security than blending petrol,” Umashankar said.
Government Studying Flex-Fuel Engines
The ministry has also commissioned the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to study flex-fuel engines capable of running on up to 100% isobutanol as an alternative to diesel.
The research will include vehicle testing to assess engine performance using isobutanol-blended fuel.
Isobutanol is a biofuel produced from ethanol through fermentation. Compared with ethanol, it has a higher energy density and is less corrosive, making it more suitable for blending with diesel.
According to data from initial tests, isobutanol blending significantly reduces pollution from diesel vehicles without affecting vehicle performance. The fuel may also not require major modifications to existing engines or exhaust systems.
Mint had reported in August 2025 that the government was planning isobutanol blending with diesel and exploring flex-fuel engines capable of running on up to 100% isobutanol.
Draft Rules Soon For Truck-Trailer Interchangeability
Umashankar also said the ministry will soon issue a draft notification for truck trailers to support a new ecosystem for heavy-duty electric trucks.
The initiative is aimed at addressing infrastructure challenges related to battery charging and swapping.
According to the secretary, the ministry is exploring “tractor-trailer interchangeability” as an alternative to lengthy charging times and complex battery-swapping systems.
Under the proposed model, the front unit of a truck would be detached and replaced with a fully charged unit, while the trailer remains in operation. The replacement would take place at designated locations.
Hydrogen-Powered Buses Running
Speaking about hydrogen logistics projects, Umashankar said the government’s pilot experiments have shown positive results.
“The results are very good. The key cost is comparable with respect to other forms of logistics travel. It’s not high. The only high-cost element there is the hydrogen re-fuelling stations. And presently in the pilot projects government support is being provided,” he said.
He added that hydrogen-powered public buses have recently been launched on routes connecting Delhi with Faridabad and Noida.
“Hydrogen refuelling stations have already been set up under this scheme. These buses can travel 450 km before needing a refuel. So for the Delhi-Mumbai corridor, maybe three refuelling stations will be needed,” the secretary said while responding to a question by Ashwani Gupta, chairman, CII national committee on ports and shipping, and whole time director & CEO, Adani Ports and SEZ.
Barrier-Less Tolling System Likely
The secretary also said multi-lane free flow (MLFF), a barrier-less tolling system that removes the need for vehicles to stop or slow down at toll plazas, is likely to be introduced in the “forthcoming year”.
“This (MLFF) has already been introduced in two toll plazas and it’s working very successfully. The third one is likely to go live in the next 8-10 days. We plan to expand this to all four-lane-plus toll plazas across the country within the forthcoming year. We are also going to put in place an advanced traffic management system. We have got the first proposal for Delhi NCR approved. Issuing bids and the project implementation will start very shortly,” he added.
To improve average vehicle speeds on roads and highways, the ministry also plans to focus on separating slow-moving and fast-moving traffic on expressways and access-controlled highways.
