NEW DELHI — Following a 2024 pilot project that successfully installed E93 ethanol fuel pumps at 500 retail outlets for vehicles that do not currently exist, the government announced Tuesday it is closely monitoring the situation of absolutely nothing happening.

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have largely declined to invest the ₹5,000 crore required for new blending terminals, citing an industry preference to only transport and sell fuel that cars can actually use. Simultaneously, automakers remain hesitant to add ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh to vehicle manufacturing costs to accommodate an ethanol blend that drivers cannot physically buy.

"We have already demonstrated our commitment to the 2025 biofuel transition by making E20 petrol available at a staggering 1,900 of the country's 72,079 fuel stations," said a ministry official. The official noted that widespread public complaints regarding reduced engine performance and lower mileage prove the existing ethanol is successfully working its way through consumer engines.

To resolve the standoff, officials confirmed the transport ministry briefly threatened to tax diesel vehicles to force flex-fuel adoption, before returning to its core strategy of mandating a fuel network that oil companies won't build for cars that manufacturers refuse to make.