Some people say their cars and bikes have suffered after using ethanol-blended petrol. For months now, falling mileage and concerns about vehicle performance have become a national political flashpoint.

But the Union government has repeatedly dismissed these claims.

Recently, vehicle owners gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, holding placards that read, “Humari Gaadi, Humara Adhikaar” - Our vehicle, our right. These, too, have been dismissed as politically motivated.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who is not the Petroleum Minister, has been the most prominent face of India’s ethanol push. And he has asked journalists to show even one damaged vehicle.

Others, like journalist Rahul Shivshankar, have defended the policy by arguing that ethanol-blended petrol has been in use for years. If it really caused widespread damage, where are the millions of affected vehicles?

But those arguments don't answer the questions that matter. Why has a report by the Automotive Research Association of India not been made public? Why is E20 becoming mandatory instead of allowing a choice? And why has a fuel that was promoted as a cheaper alternative not translated into lower prices for consumers?

In this episode, we'll examine the science, economics, and politics behind India's ethanol experiment.

Let me explain.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Lakshmi Priya M, Edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Camerawork by Ajay R.