When Union minister Nitin Gadkari dismissed concerns around 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) earlier this month, he said the critics were a part of a “paid campaign” run by “vested interests”, even as many pointed to genuine issues around potential damage to vehicles, trade-offs with food production, and the fast-tracked rollout of the policy.
The minister’s comments came after the Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation seeking mandatory availability of ethanol-free petrol (E0) at all fuel stations—a plea the Centre opposed, calling it an attempt to undermine a national policy. India had introduced E20 nationwide in April 2023, achieving its blending target five years ahead of schedule. While the programme aims to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on crude oil imports, consumers and automobile experts have raised concerns over vehicle efficiency and longevity.
Gadkari’s claim, however, was quickly questioned online. Social media users began highlighting data, conflicts of interest, and the PR machinery behind the push for E20. One creator, Mukesh Mohan, with over 52K followers on X and over 400K on Instagram, posted a video that backed up these questions with proof.
In the video, posted on September 14, he shared a screenshot of an email offer from PR agency Eunoia Networks: Rs 1.45 lakh for a sponsored reel on “ethanol awareness,” to be posted in collaboration with Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Mohan’s video, which has clocked 3.5 million views, opens with Gadkari’s comments and ends with him calling it “marketing his honesty—but not really honest”.
“No, Mr Minister, the critics were not paid,” he says in the video. “Here’s what was paid for.”
Email offer received by Mukesh Mohan
The post offered a window into the machinery behind these influencer-driven campaigns—something Decode had documented in an earlier investigation. The story detailed how creators with significant followings, like RJ Naved, RJ Shonali, and Nikita Gupta, were roped in to frame government fuel policy as a patriotic duty, blurring the line between citizen awareness and state messaging.
The videos often followed a standard “myth-busting” script, assuring viewers that ethanol wouldn’t interfere with vehicle performance and that newer cars were E20 compliant.
With comment sections flooded with users tagging other creators allegedly paid to promote ethanol, Mohan’s video added a new layer: showing the money and messaging behind the campaign, putting a price tag on the blurred line between promotion and persuasion.
“They agreed to Rs 1.45 lakh”
The offer landed in Mukesh Mohan’s inbox in May. “I generally avoid political videos,” he told Decode, “but after I received this one, I wanted to see how far they are willing to go.”
He initially quoted Rs 1.8 lakh; after negotiations, the PR agency agreed to Rs 1.45 lakh. Their first instruction: draft a script.
But the process wasn’t straightforward. “I included some anti-establishment bits,” Mohan said. “They asked me to change it. After four iterations, it was finally cleared.” Even then, he was told to hold off posting until September.
By late August, he noticed a pattern. Multiple creators were already publishing videos on the topic. “If it was genuine awareness, why such aggressive promotion?” he wondered. On August 31, he released his own reel, focusing on the problems with ethanol. The response was immediate. “That’s when I knew it was a serious concern which the government is trying to wrap in flashy influencer marketing,” he said.
The video leaned heavily on data. Mohan highlighted that Gadkari’s sons run Cian Agro and Manas Agro, ethanol companies producing fuel from sugarcane molasses. “Their share values shot up multifold in just one year,” he noted, pointing out that the government fast-tracked the ethanol blending target from 2030 to 2025. “While the share price ticks upward,” he said, “the citizen’s pocket will be pinched.” That reel has amassed nearly 2 million views on Instagram.
Talking about the blurry barter between influencers and politicians these days, Mohan explained,
“There was no government mandate to label these as ads. Creators themselves avoid disclosing paid gigs. They know mainstream media’s reach is declining, and they can earn lakhs per video without showing allegiance to any side.”
Decode reviewed the email screenshot shared by Mohan; however, the company, Eunoia Network, could not be independently contacted or verified, as no active contact details were publicly available.
The Mechanics of Influence
Mohan wasn’t the only one to receive such an offer. The Race Monkey, an automotive portal sharing car and bike reviews, posted a screenshot on Instagram of a WhatsApp message from a social media agency asking for their charges to promote E20. “The common man is bearing the cost of damage to the vehicle and the pocket,” the post read, refusing to spread what they saw as misinformation.
Another account, Motorcycle Trails, run by Nikhil Sood, echoed similar concerns. Sharing a WhatsApp screenshot with deliverables listed as “1 Instagram reel, 1 YouTube Short, 1 YouTube video,” Sood wrote, “I have already created a detailed YouTube video highlighting why ethanol-blended fuel can be harmful for older vehicles.”
Ishaan Bhardwaj, editor of The Race Monkey, told Decode the outreach began with a phone call from a Hextech Media representative on August 14. He asked for the details via text, read through them, and quickly fact-checked online. “I saw several creators had already posted—and many were spreading outright misinformation,” he said.
Headquartered in Mumbai and established in 2022, Hextech Media offers digital marketing services including influencer, performance, content, and WhatsApp marketing, as well as UI/UX design and outdoor campaigns. The agency has executed high-profile campaigns for brands like Meesho, MX Takatak, Purplle, Garnier, Zee Live, and Max Fashion, managing influencer collaborations and large-scale content campaigns reaching lakhs of users.
The WhatsApp message Bhardwaj received and shared did not explicitly name Hextech Media. Decode has reached out to the company for confirmation but has not received a response; the story will be updated once we hear back.
Blurring Facts and Marketing
Decode’s earlier investigation found that influencer campaigns claimed to “myth-bust” fears around ethanol, portraying it as safe and environmentally friendly. Experts, however, flagged these claims as misleading: many E20-ready cars aren’t built to handle the fuel long-term, risking engine and fuel system damage. The campaigns also used patriotic framing, presenting compliance as a civic duty rather than a technical issue.
Echoing the same concerns, Bhardwaj explained why India isn’t ready for E20 fuel. “Nine out of ten cars sold or imported here today are not E20 compliant,” he said. “E20-ready cars might run on the fuel but could damage engines, injectors, or tanks, with no warranty coverage. E20-compliant cars are actually built to handle it.”
With 13 years as an auto journalist and a mechanical engineering background, Bhardwaj cross-checked with manufacturers and found most vehicles couldn’t safely use E20 long-term. “E20-ready is like being engaged; E20-compliant is like being married,” he said.
He also flagged the timing. “The agency reached out on August 14, right before Independence Day weekend, when social media attention peaks. That wasn’t accidental.” Globally, even countries like Brazil keep pure petrol as an option despite decades of ethanol use. In India, however, “it was being made compulsory without alternatives.”
Bhardwaj grew concerned when he saw the campaign’s scale.
“The government’s budget ran into eight or nine digits, using taxpayers’ money to push misinformation. The targets are mostly middle- and lower-middle-class petrol users, who lack the means to challenge it,” he said.
When Hextech asked about his fee, he deliberately quoted a steep figure. “I said Rs 20 lakh, because my publication has built its credibility by telling uncomfortable truths about the auto industry.” Within minutes, they countered with a “maximum budget” of Rs 15 lakh. “Even that is massive for such a small campaign. And make no mistake: this isn’t just marketing, it’s a scam.”