Sustainable Aviation Fuel in India: A Compilation of Perspectives from Policymakers, Researchers, and Industry Stakeholders
India’s aviation sector is expanding rapidly, making sustainable growth essential. This document explores how Sustainable Aviation Fuel can support decarbonization in India through policy, innovation, viable feedstocks, and collaboration.
As India’s aviation sector continues to grow, the need to decarbonize air travel is becoming increasingly urgent. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as a critical pathway for reducing emissions from one of the hardest-to-abate sectors, but scaling it in India will require more than technological promise alone. This conference proceedings document brings together perspectives from policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders on the opportunities, challenges, and enabling conditions for SAF deployment in India. It explores key issues such as feedstock availability, production costs, certification bottlenecks, policy and regulatory support, technology pathways, and the importance of coordinated action across the aviation value chain. The document also highlights the need for robust sustainability safeguards, stronger market signals, domestic certification systems, and continued innovation to build a credible and competitive SAF ecosystem. Together, these insights help outline a practical pathway for advancing sustainable aviation fuel in India.