India should consider temporarily lowering ethanol blending in petrol to 15% during severe feedstock shortages or sharp food-price pressures, while retaining the 20% target as a long-term goal, an ICRIER paper said. It also recommended greater sugar imports, flexibility in ethanol imports and faster adoption of non-food-based second-generation ethanol.

ICRIER suggests the government adopt flexibility in its ethanol-blended petrol program to balance supply and food security.

A research paper recommends flexibility in India's ethanol blending program targets. It suggests maintaining E20 as a long-term goal while allowing temporary E15 reductions. This…