New Delhi, August 5, 2026 — The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has issued a clarification regarding recent media reports that cited partial excerpts from its communication on fuel quality, particularly focusing on chloride and sulphur content.
In an official statement, SIAM said the reports selectively highlighted certain aspects of its internal communication and placed the matter “in its correct context for the benefit of the public and all stakeholders.”
According to SIAM, fuel quality testing under the existing regulatory framework is a rigorous and comprehensive process that covers more than 150 parameters and is conducted by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). The association clarified that the communication in question was part of routine and ongoing technical discussions held between industry bodies, oil marketing companies, auto OEMs, and testing agencies.
SIAM stated that some of the numbers mentioned in the communication require further authentication through the collection of detailed data from various regions across the country, followed by comprehensive consultations with its member OEMs.
The statement also noted that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has instituted 3 ppm guidelines for chloride/sulphur as a precautionary measure for all ethanol being blended into the petrol supply chain. “All of these steps fully meet the needs of the automobile industry,” SIAM said. It further mentioned that OMCs have put in place checks, including water ingress testing approximately 8–12 times a day across over 87,000 outlets, and after each instance of rain near petrol pumps.
Reaffirming its position, SIAM said the automobile industry has always been fully supportive of the Government of India’s E20 ethanol blending initiative, which is important from an energy security perspective.
The association reassured consumers and the public that there is no cause for concern arising from the reported matter, as such issues have been routinely addressed over the past several decades between the auto industry and OMCs.
SIAM added that the numbers reported in the media need authentication and has therefore withdrawn its earlier communication. It requested the media and other stakeholders to take the above aspects into account in any further reporting on the subject.
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