India Poised to Become Net Exporter of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Says Boeing Executive

India is emerging as a global hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production, driven by agricultural waste, strategic partnerships, and robust policy support.

President of Boeing India and South Asia believes India could start exporting more Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) than it imports, according to Business Standard. He shared this view at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi. The President also highlighted that India's plentiful supply of raw materials, including agricultural waste gives it a big advantage of being one of the best producers of the fuel. He gave importance to the fact that SAF has a crucial part to play in reducing aviation carbon emissions, which make up about 2–3% of global emissions.

Strategic Partnerships to Scale SAF Production

Boeing has joined forces with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) to push forward India's SAF ecosystem. This team-up aims to boost SAF production, help with certification processes, and push for policies that build a strong SAF industry in India. HPCL's Green R&D Centre has come up with its own tech to turn used cooking oil into SAF, showing the promise of turning waste into fuel.

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India's SAF Production Potential

As per the report published by Deloitte India, it is said that India could produce 8–10 million Tonnes of SAF annually by 2040, which would surpass the estimated demand of 4.5 million Tonnes under a 15% blending mandate. It is also stated that an investment of approximately ₹6–7 lakh crore (US$70–85 billion) would be required and this can reduce carbon emissions by 20–25 million Tonnes annually. The plan can also create 1.1-1.4 million jobs and also help reduce the crude oil import bill by $5–7 billion per year.

Aviation Sector's Role in Decarbonization

The global aviation industry has also been targeting a reduction/ net-zero emissions by 2050. The goal is to necessitate SAF production of 185 million Tonnes. It is said that India’s contribution of 8-10 million Tonnes would be more than 5% of the global target, making the country one of the established players in the SAF markets.