Vision Anchored in Growth and Sustainability
India aviation market is expanding at double digit rates. To ensure climate compatibility, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is finalising a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy that will provide clear blending targets and investment signals. Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed the draft will arrive soon, setting India on a path toward five percent SAF blending by twenty thirty.
Why India Holds a Unique Advantage
· More than seven hundred fifty million tonnes of agricultural biomass each year.
· Established ethanol and bio refinery capacity that can pivot to aviation fuel.
· A young workforce ready to staff new plants across rural regions.
These factors mean India can supply its own airlines and become an export hub for neighbouring markets. A study by FICCI and KPMG projects that substituting part of current jet fuel with SAF could reduce the national crude import bill by up to seven billion United States dollars annually and create one million green jobs across the value chain.
Catalysing Investment and Innovation
The forthcoming policy is expected to:
1. Offer production-linked incentives for early commercial facilities.
2. Set up a tradable credit scheme rewarding airlines that exceed mandated blending.
3. Facilitate low-interest loans through collaboration with domestic banks and multilateral funds.
A non obvious insight concerns farmer income. Residue purchase agreements for feedstock, especially rice straw that currently causes air pollution when burned, could lift rural earnings by ten percent while simultaneously improving air quality around major cities.
Conclusion
By turning agricultural waste into high value jet fuel, India is blending economic opportunity with environmental stewardship. The forthcoming policy points toward a future where passengers fly on cleaner energy, farmers gain new income streams, and the nation improves energy security.