In 1979, Tamil Nadu engineers modified cars, two-wheelers and buses to run on 100% ethanol, tested the technology on a 2,000km Chennai-Ooty-Kanyakumari drive and demonstrated it to Indira Gandhi, but food security concerns stalled the project; now, five decades later, Anna University plans to revive the research as India accelerates its ethanol-blending push

In the 1970s, researchers modified petrol engines to run on ethanol but faced issues with fuel availability. Anna University plans to revisit this research as India enhances its ethanol-blended petrol initiative. The new research will evaluate ethanol performance in flexible-fuel vehicles and consider various compression ratios. Ethanol’s production methods have evolved, potentially alleviating previous concerns regarding food security.