Kharcha Pani | Episode 1269 | 4th February, 2026
Cooking oil in our kitchens and fuel oil in our vehicles — both are essential to our daily lives. But what happens when India starts depending more and more on imports for both? In this episode of Kharcha Paani, we break down how India’s growing reliance on edible oil and ethanol imports, especially from the United States, is quietly reshaping our economy.
India consumes nearly 26–27 million tonnes of edible oil every year, but produces only about 40% of its requirement domestically. With cheaper palm and soybean oil flooding the market, imports have surged — and soybean oil imports from the US alone have jumped sharply in just one year. What does this mean for Indian farmers, small businesses, and you as a consumer? Are cheaper oils really a win, or are there hidden costs in terms of health and livelihoods?
We also dive into ethanol blending — a key pillar of India’s clean energy push. While India has achieved its 20% ethanol blending target, ethanol produced domestically is expensive and water-intensive. Meanwhile, ethanol from the US is significantly cheaper but restricted for fuel use due to policy rules. So is ethanol-blended fuel actually saving consumers money? Or is it creating yet another long-term dependency?
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Production: Shruti
Video Editor: Ved
