Team Bharat Releases Original SIAM Letter on E20, Calls for Transparency and Consumer Protection

Team Bharat today announced the release of the original letter dated July 28, 2026, issued by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, raising concerns regarding fuel quality and E20 implementation.

According to the SIAM communication, its members have observed a significant increase in issues involving vehicle components including fuel injectors, fuel pumps, EGR valves and other parts directly exposed to fuel or engine emissions. The letter states that investigations into field failures found corrosion or wear associated with high chloride presence and that fuel samples from vehicle tanks had shown chloride levels as high as 500 mg/kg.

SIAM further states that samples collected from retail outlets had shown chloride contamination of up to 350 mg/kg, and that the increase in chloride-related issues had been observed specifically after E20 implementation.

EXPOSED: The document the Government tried hard to erase.

​On July 28, 2026, SIAM officially warned the Union Govt that Excessive chloride in E20 petrol is actively damaging your vehicles.

​Instead of protecting your hard earned money & your vehicles the govt went after news… pic.twitter.com/UEvExxS2jT

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) August 11, 2026

The letter also raises concerns regarding moisture contamination. SIAM states that while the permitted moisture level in E20 fuel is 3,000 mg/kg, its members had observed levels exceeding 10,000 mg/kg (1%) in several cases. It recommends stronger inspection and periodic auditing of underground storage tanks and pipelines at retail outlets.

Why is Team Bharat releasing the letter?

Issues affecting millions of Indian vehicle owners deserve facts, documents and complete transparency.

The concerns raised in the SIAM letter are not merely questions raised by Team Bharat. SIAM states that these concerns have been raised before the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for more than two years.

We are therefore making the original communication available so that citizens, vehicle owners, journalists, researchers and policymakers can read the source document for themselves, rather than relying on selective interpretations or summaries.

We understand the pressure that lead to all news reports wrt this letter being pulled down but TEAM BHARAT will not back down and will work fearlessly.

Our position remains unchanged

Team Bharat is not against India’s goals of energy security, ethanol production or self-reliance. Our concerns are about implementation, consumer protection, transparency and choice.

We continue to seek:

• Availability and affordability of E0 & E10 fuel for vehicles designed or certified for E10.
• Fair and transparent fuel pricing that does not disproportionately burden consumers.
• Strict testing and quality controls for E20 across the supply chain.
• Accountability and consumer protection in cases of fuel contamination or compatibility-related failures.
• Public disclosure of relevant technical studies, testing data and policy documents.

Team Bharat has already placed these concerns before the Ministry and other stakeholders and remains committed to constructive dialogue and practical solutions.

Our commitment remains to the Indian consumer and to ensuring that policies affecting millions are implemented with transparency, accountability and evidence-based decision-making.

The documents speak for themselves. Citizens deserve the opportunity to read them.

(Inputs from Press Release)