By Dharmesh Prajapati

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced an innovative ethanol-based stove technology that he claims can generate cooking flames at a cost lower than commercial LPG cylinders.

He also simultaneously unveiled a Rs 40-crore project aimed at inspiring scientific curiosity among India’s youth.

Addressing ‘Mintron Ke Bich’ program organised by Rashtrabhasha Pariwar in Nagpur, Gadkari explained the technology in straightforward terms.

“By mixing 7% ethanol in water, stove-like flames are generated, and it is cheaper than cooking gas. It is indigenous to our country,” he said.

“As technology is evolving, we are also working on a project worth Rs 40 crore to ignite the love for science in the youth and children,” he added. 

The announcement is consistent with Gadkari’s long-standing and vocal push to reduce India’s dependence on fossil fuel imports. India currently meets around 87% of its oil requirements through imports. 

He has for years championed ethanol blending across sectors, from transport to energy, describing it as an import substitute that is cost-effective, pollution-free and home-grown.

India’s ethanol blending in petrol has surged from just 1.53% in 2014 to 20% in 2025, with the government having set successive targets to push that figure higher. Gadkari has been the most prominent political face of this transition.

The ethanol-water stove technology represents an extension of that vision into the domestic cooking energy space, a sector where millions of Indian households continue to rely on subsidised LPG cylinders.

If the technology proves scalable and cost-effective, it could offer a viable and indigenous alternative to commercial cooking gas at the household level.

The Rs 40 crore science outreach project linked to the announcement signals an intent to build long-term public and youth engagement around alternative energy innovation.