India to skip BS-V, leapfrog to BS-VI from 2020

India has been following European emission norms, though with a time lag of five years, with BS-IV norms now applicable in 33 cities where the required grade of fuel is available while the rest of the country follows BS-III standards.

The road transport and highways ministry was of the view the roll out of BS-V norms must start from 2019 but Petroleum Ministry expressed inability to comply with the deadline.

Indian refiners need to invest 300 billion rupees ($4.5 billion) to produce Euro VI complaint fuel, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Therefore, the government has taken a bold decision to skip BS-V emission norms altogether, the statement added.

Also, going a step ahead, Gadkari said that BS-VI fuel standards will be implemented from 2020. Implementation of BS V emission norms will be skipped and the government will come out with a notification in this regard soon, it was decided at a meeting chaired by Union Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari. BS-IV fuels contain 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur, while BS-V and BS-VI grade fuel is more cleaner as it will have 10 ppm sulphur.

However, in October, an official from apex industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers suggested the industry was not ready to go straight to BS-VI.

To discuss details of fuel specifications and other relevant issues of BS-VI auto fuels, a group of concerned Secretaries will be formed which will give its report within two weeks. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has assured supply of BS-VI fuel across the country by 01.04.2020. While Delhi is now observing odd-even scheme, Supreme Court has cracked down on diesel vehicles by banning registration of diesel cars and SUVs with engines above 2,000 cc.