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Biodiesel is derived from oils of plants/animals and these alternate fuels can be used in engines to provide power in a similar fashion as that of conventional diesel fuels. These biodegradable transportation fuels are almost free from sulfur, are low in particulate emissions, renewable and reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil imports. India has tropical advantage for non-edible oilseed crops, which include Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata. These plants grow in arid to semi arid regions and are not grazed by animals. The oil content of the seeds varies from 25-30% and the productive life of the plants is more than 40 years.

The deposit formation in the intake system of passenger cars due to cracked components in gasoline leads to loss in fuel economy, increase in emissions and poor driveability problems. Use of multifunctional additives is the most cost effective means worldwide for controlling these deposits Worldwide, there are many test methods used (mostly in house tests) to evaluate the efficacy of the deposit control additives but most of them are based on multi cylinder gasoline engines which are quite cumbersome and expensive. For this reason, it was decided to develop a less expensive, small scale test method based on a modern technology gasoline engine using Honda generator of 5.5 KW capacity. A cyclic test procedure of 80 hours duration has been developed. Several tests were conducted in two generators with different fuels to establish the repeatability and the reproducibility of the test method.

Fuel adulteration is a big menace in India. It not only affects the engine components but also hampers the country economy. The main driving force for this malpractice is the difference in the pricing of various hydrocarbon products. Till recently, PDS kerosene was used in a big way to adulterate petrol and diesel. However, with the opening up of the economy many other streams and side products are readily available, which are frequently being used as adulterants for prime fuels. Oil industry as well as Government of India has taken various measures to curb this menace and the present paper gives an overview on different measures taken to put an end to the adulteration of prime fuel with other streams. Further, in a significant move to curb adulteration of petrol and diesel, Marker Systems is being used that promises to stamp out the problems of adulteration.

India is having a large population of two stroke cycle engines. Before the advent of two stroke engine oils in India, motor oils were used to be mixed alongwith gasoline for two stroke engine lubrication for those vehicles having premixed type of lubrication system. The motor oils due to the high ash containing additives give rise to problems like pre-ignition, spark plug whiskering and combustion chamber deposits thereby leading to frequent breakdown of engines for maintenance. During the '8∅s the development of two stroke engine oils was taken up and the two stroke oils, confirming to ASTM/CEC standards, were introduced in the market. Due to the diversified designs of the two stroke engines owing their origin to both European and Japanese engine builders, it was felt necessary to have the Indian standards for two stroke engine oils comprising tests that incorporate both these types of engines.