‘76 days of fuel, no immediate risk’: Oil minister Hardeep Puri makes big statement amid global energy woes
Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and volatile markets, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted India's robust strategic petroleum reserves and diversified sourcing, stating there is no immediate risk of a domestic fuel crunch.
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New Delhi: With a massive 76-to-80-day fuel buffer standing between India and global energy chaos, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri declared the nation fully shielded from looming oil shocks. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Puri dismissed immediate energy risks and predicted an imminent drop in fuel prices, pointing to India's extraordinary market resilience.
"In the midst of all this crisis, in the midst of all this crisis, you have no dry out taking place in any part of the country and you are still exporting," the minister stated.
The minister does not expect oil prices to remain "this high" for long, noting that India's strategic reserves, refinery inventories, and commercial stocks provide a solid 30-to-60-day buffer. This extensive cushion ensures the country's energy security remains intact even during severe geopolitical disruptions, safeguarding domestic supply against external market volatility.
Even if the critical Strait of Hormuz faces a prolonged closure, Puri remains confident in India's domestic readiness to manage the fallout. Emphasizing his benchmark for national energy security, he asserted: "What happens if Hormuz remains closed for another 30 days? We all have domestic situations, we have stocks ... my comfort point used to be 60-60-60 which means 60 days of crude oil, natural gas and LPG - which I do have; I would say that's comfortable."
E85 fuel rollout begins across 48 PSU OMC retail outlets: Hardeep Puri
On the occasion of World Environment Day 2026 on Friday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri launched E85 fuel at an IndianOil retail outlet in New Delhi, formally beginning the nationwide rollout of the high-ethanol blended fuel for flex-fuel vehicles.
The launch marks the first phase of the programme, with E85 fuel now available at 48 retail outlets operated by public sector oil marketing companies. The government plans to expand availability to 500 retail outlets by December 2026 and around 5,000 outlets by December 2027.
The initiative is expected to help raise India's overall ethanol blending level to nearly 26 per cent by 2030-31.
E85 is a high-ethanol fuel containing 80-85 per cent ethanol and 14-19 per cent petrol. It is designed specifically for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can operate on varying ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E100, offering consumers greater flexibility while promoting cleaner mobility solutions.
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