According to Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, India has the capacity to export Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a workable decarbonisation solution, because the nation has over 750 million tonnes of available biomass and almost 230 million tonnes of surplus agricultural residue. The main feedstocks that can be utilised to produce SAF, an aeroplane drop-in fuel, include biomass, agricultural waste, and spent cooking oil. An SAF feasibility study has been completed for India by the civil aviation ministry in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and with assistance from the European Union.

The study evaluates India’s capacity to produce and use drop-in SAF. According to a statement released by the ministry on 3 September, it assesses the availability of domestic feedstock, feasible production routes, infrastructure and policy preparedness, and the enabling circumstances required to create a strong domestic SAF market. The research offers a path for the adoption of sustainable fuels by incorporating global best practices and adapting them to India’s socioeconomic and environmental circumstances, it continued. Under the ICAO’s Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels programme (ACT-SAF), the study was conducted. The passenger volume in India, the third-largest aviation market in the world, is predicted to treble to 500 million by 2030. According to the announcement, SAF has the potential to reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 80% when compared to conventional fuel, making it a workable and quick solution to decarbonise the aviation industry.

“With over 750 million metric tonnes of available biomass and nearly 230 million metric tonnes of surplus agricultural residue, India has the capacity not only to meet its own SAF demand but also to emerge as a global leader and exporter,” he stated. The minister added that by building a robust value chain for biomass and agricultural residue, SAF production will increase farmers’ earnings in addition to lowering emissions and reducing crude imports by 20–25 million tonnes yearly. Indian Oil Corporation recently received ISCC CORSIA certification for producing SAF at its refinery in Panipat, Haryana, making it the first Indian firm to do so.

CORSIA stands for the ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. In keeping with the CORSIA mission, the minister also restated India’s commitment to becoming self-sufficient in SAF production, aiming for 1% blending in ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) by 2027, 2% by 2028, and 5% by 2030. In the meantime, the nation’s first SAF certification authority is now COTECNA Inspection India Pvt Ltd. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the delivery of SAF was signed last month by Indian Oil Corporation and Air India.