India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amends the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to allow factory-built flex-fuel vehicles to run on ethanol-blended fuel up to E100, or nearly pure ethanol. Outlets report that the change adjusts regulatory thresholds and technical references used in emission and testing frameworks, and it is framed as creating room for new vehicle models.

Several reports emphasise that E100 is not for all vehicles: fuel beyond E20 up to E100 is intended only for vehicles designed and certified for those higher ethanol blends, while conventional petrol vehicles are not expected to use E85 or E100. Some outlets also highlight that E100 is being put on the same regulatory footing as E85 for compatible flex-fuel vehicles and mention that owners generally are not required to modify existing cars.

Context across coverage includes India’s wider push for ethanol blending, which already includes E20 fuel. One outlet additionally focuses on the policy rationale from an industry perspective, saying ethanol production capacity has outpaced current blending needs and that additional uses are required to absorb the surplus.