Hardeep Singh Puri (born 15 February 1952) is an Indian politician and retired diplomat of Indian Foreign Service who is serving as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2021.
He is a 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service officer who served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. Puri served as the chairman of the United Nations Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee from January 2011 to February 2013; and joined International Peace Institute as a senior advisor in June 2013.
Puri joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2014, and became a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in November 2020. Earlier in May 2019, he had taken charge as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
Early life and education Hardeep Singh Puri was born on 15 February 1952 in Daryaganj, Delhi. He was educated with a BA in history and an MA in political science at the Hindu College, a constituent college of the Delhi University. Drawn to student politics, Puri was elected as the prime minister of the college's student parliament.
Diplomatic career Civil service Hardeep Puri joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974, and has served as Joint secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of External Affairs from 1994 to 1997, and from 1999 to 2002. He has also served as Joint secretary to the Government of India in Ministry of Defence from 1997 to 1999. He was India's ambassador to Brazil. He later served as Secretary to the Government of India (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs from 2009 to 2013.
Puri has been stationed at important diplomatic posts in Brazil, where he was ambassador, Japan, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom where he was Deputy High Commissioner. Between 1988 and 1991, he was the Coordinator of the UNDP/UNCTAD Multilateral Trade Negotiations Project to help Developing Countries in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations.
United Nations He also served as the chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee from January 2011 to February 2013, and as President of the United Nations Security Council in August 2011, and again in November 2012.
Political career
Hardeep Singh Puri joined the International Peace Institute as a senior advisor in June 2013. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2014, expressing admiration for the party's approach to national security.
He is serving as the Member of Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh from 2018. Puri was inducted into the cabinet as the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, after Venkaiah Naidu was elevated to the post of Vice President of India in 2017. In May 2019, he contested from Amritsar as a BJP Candidate, but lost to Gurjeet Singh Aujla of the Congress.
In May 2019, Puri became the Minister of State (with Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
In July 2021, he was promoted to the post of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, along with Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs in the Second Modi ministry when there was a cabinet overhaul.
In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Puri served as part of a special four-minister envoy and brought 6,711 students back to India under Operation Ganga.
Ethanol and E20 policy
Hardeep Singh Puri, as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been a prominent advocate of India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme and the expansion of ethanol blending in petrol. During his tenure, the government reached the target of 20% ethanol blending (E20) ahead of the original timetable. In August 2025, Puri said that ethanol blending in petrol had increased from 1.53% in 2014 to 20% in 2025, with the original target of 20% blending by 2030 having been advanced to 2025. He attributed the increase to policy measures including administered pricing for ethanol, the use of multiple feedstocks and expansion of distillation capacity.
According to the Government of India, average ethanol blending increased from approximately 12% in ethanol supply year (ESY) 2022–23 to 14.6% in ESY 2023–24, 19.2% in ESY 2024–25 and 20% during November 2025–June 2026. The government stated in July 2026 that it had not taken a decision to increase the nationwide base blending level beyond 20%.
Puri has repeatedly cited energy security, reduced crude-oil imports, foreign-exchange savings, environmental benefits and increased agricultural income as objectives of the ethanol programme. In a written reply in August 2025, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated that the EBP programme had resulted in payments of more than to farmers, foreign-exchange savings of more than , net carbon-dioxide reductions of approximately 736 lakh metric tonnes, and substitution of more than 244 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil between ESY 2014–15 and July 2025.
In June 2026, Puri promoted flex-fuel vehicles capable of operating on a range of ethanol-petrol blends. At the launch of a flex-fuel passenger vehicle, he said such vehicles could operate with blends ranging from E20 to E100 and described flex-fuel technology as part of India's transition towards alternative fuels.
The government also began an E85 rollout in June 2026 at selected public-sector oil-company retail outlets. Puri said that E85, which contains 85% ethanol and 15% petrol, was intended for compatible flex-fuel vehicles and was priced below conventional petrol at the outlets where it was introduced.
Debate over E20
The expansion of E20 became the subject of public and political debate in 2026, particularly concerning vehicle compatibility, fuel economy and possible effects on vehicle components. In July 2026, Puri said that the use of E20 could result in a small reduction in mileage, while arguing that other characteristics of ethanol-blended fuel could provide benefits such as higher octane and improved acceleration.
Reuters reported in July 2026 that the government's E20 policy was facing public criticism from motorists who reported concerns about fuel efficiency and vehicle performance. The report also noted that the government defended E20 on the grounds of reducing crude-oil imports, lowering emissions and supporting agricultural incomes.
Puri rejected claims that E20 was causing widespread engine damage, describing some of the criticism as misinformation or misrepresentation. He said automobile manufacturers and vehicle service providers had not reported widespread difficulties with E20-compatible vehicles.
In July 2026, Puri also said that the government was testing E25 petrol, containing 25% ethanol, but that any decision to introduce it would be taken only after evaluation of the test results and consultations with stakeholders and automobile manufacturers.
The government subsequently stated that no decision had been taken to increase the nationwide base ethanol-blending level beyond 20%. It said that any future increase would require scientific and technical studies and consultations with automobile manufacturers, oil-marketing companies and research institutions.
Fuel-quality and contamination concerns
In August 2026, Puri said that oil-marketing companies had identified only a small number of cases of fuel contamination during their testing of petrol outlets. He cited testing of approximately 2,000 fuel samples per day and said that four cases of contamination had been detected at the time of his statement.
Reuters subsequently reported that state-owned oil-marketing companies Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum said nationwide testing found E20 petrol to be within applicable quality standards. Reuters also reported that concerns had been raised over chloride and moisture levels in some fuel samples, while industry bodies and automobile manufacturers differed over the significance of the available data.
A subsequent Reuters report said that internal correspondence among major Indian automobile manufacturers had raised concerns about contamination found in some E20 fuel samples. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers later said that the underlying testing was insufficient to support definitive conclusions and that its communication had been withdrawn pending further scientific study.
Ethanol blending in diesel
Puri has also addressed the possibility of blending ethanol with diesel. In a Rajya Sabha debate in July 2024, he said that ethanol-diesel blending remained at an experimental stage and that there was no plan at that time to mandate ethanol blending in diesel. He said oil-marketing companies had tested blends of up to 7% ethanol in diesel in collaboration with the Automotive Research Association of India and selected original equipment manufacturers, but that further issues including flash point, material compatibility, fuel stability and oxidation stability required consideration.
Criticism and public debate
Puri's advocacy of higher ethanol blending has attracted criticism, particularly in relation to the rollout of E20 petrol. Critics, including vehicle owners and opposition politicians, raised concerns about reduced fuel efficiency, compatibility of E20 with older vehicles, possible wear to vehicle components, and the absence of a choice between lower- and higher-ethanol petrol at fuel stations. The controversy intensified in 2026 as complaints about mileage and vehicle performance became prominent on social media and in political debate.
One criticism concerned the effect of E20 on mileage. Puri acknowledged in July 2026 that ethanol could cause a reduction in vehicle mileage, although he described the reduction as small and argued that mileage was affected by several factors. He also pointed to ethanol's higher octane rating and potential performance benefits.
Puri was also criticised over claims that consumers were effectively being used as participants in an untested policy. The issue became particularly prominent after comments attributed to Attorney General R. Venkataramani during proceedings before the Supreme Court of India were reported as describing E20 as an "experiment". Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge subsequently criticised the policy and described the ethanol transition as an experiment involving millions of Indians. Puri rejected this interpretation, saying that the Attorney General's comments concerned ethanol procurement quantities rather than the percentage of ethanol blended into petrol.
The policy also drew criticism from motorists who owned vehicles manufactured before widespread E20 compatibility. Reports documented complaints concerning fuel economy, vehicle performance and concerns about possible maintenance costs. Puri rejected claims of widespread engine damage and said automobile manufacturers and vehicle service providers had not reported major problems with E20-compatible vehicles.
Puri's response to the criticism itself became part of the public debate. In July 2026, he said that criticism of the government's work was welcome but distinguished it from what he described as rumours or misinformation. He rejected claims circulating online that ethanol-blended fuel necessarily damaged engines, fuel pumps or vehicles.
Puri subsequently questioned the timing of the controversy, arguing that E20 had already been in use for an extended period and suggesting that the backlash intensified following the introduction of E85-compatible flex-fuel vehicles in June 2026. He described the controversy as "manufactured" and rejected the suggestion that the government had suddenly subjected motorists to an ethanol experiment.