The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on Tuesday appointed Sai Giridhar as its 38th president for the 2026–28 term. In his first interaction after assuming charge, Giridhar sought to allay consumer concerns over E20 petrol, saying the ethanol-blended fuel does not pose a problem for vehicles, although some older cars may see a decline in mileage.
Giridhar said vehicles launched in India from 2023 are E20-compliant, while older vehicles are also unlikely to face major problems from using the blended fuel.
“The average might drop, but that would be in legacy cars, probably cars which are 10 years, 12 years, 15 years old cars. From 2023, whatever cars are being launched in India are all E20 compliant cars. So there has to be no fear,” Giridhar said.
His comments come amid concerns among vehicle owners over the impact of higher ethanol blending on vehicle performance, fuel efficiency and compatibility, particularly in older vehicles.
Giridhar’s appointment followed a decision at FADA’s 323rd Governing Council meeting held after the association’s 62nd Annual General Meeting. He succeeds CS Vigneshwar, whose tenure, FADA said, saw dealer representation strengthen significantly in policy and industry discussions.
FADA also appointed Amar Jatin Sheth as vice-president and Pradeep Agarwal as secretary for the 2026–28 term. Bharat Kumar Chordia was elected treasurer.
Giridhar, managing director of Saisha Motors, has more than three decades of experience in automobile retail. Based in Jaipur, his dealership portfolio includes brands such as Skoda, Volvo Cars and JSW MG Motor.
Speaking on his priorities as president, Giridhar said he would focus on ensuring that dealers across sizes and geographies are adequately represented, strengthening OEM-dealer relationships and improving dealership viability.
On the broader automobile market, the FADA President said rural India is increasingly becoming the key driver of demand, with growth becoming more broad-based ahead of the festive season.