Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Thursday announced that the government will soon roll out India’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Policy, highlighting the country’s potential to become a global leader in SAF production.
Speaking at the India Sustainable Aviation Fuel Summit, organised by FICCI in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the minister emphasised that the aviation sector is expanding faster than the overall economy. “Aviation has truly become the growth engine for mobility and businesses worldwide,” he said, noting a 6.7 per cent annual growth rate with nearly 10 million passenger trips expected in 2025.
Ram Mohan Naidu projected that India’s aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption could reach 15–16 million tonnes by 2030 and 30–31 million tonnes by 2040, stressing that SAF could reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional fuels.
“The Ministry is drafting the SAF Policy and will release it soon. As an agricultural powerhouse with over 750 million tonnes of biomass, India has the capacity to lead globally in SAF production,” the minister said. He added that SAF could help cut the country’s crude oil import bill by USD 5–7 billion annually and generate one million green jobs.
Highlighting India’s aviation growth, the minister noted that the country has added 90 airports and 400 aircraft in the past nine years. Plans include expanding the airport network by 50 in the next five years and 200 over the next 20–25 years, with 500 million annual passengers projected within the next decade.
Director General of Civil Aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said India aims for a 5 per cent SAF blending target by 2030, describing it as a “declaration of intent to lead by example.”
Industry leaders attending the summit echoed the significance of SAF. Jurgen Westermeier, Chairman of the FICCI Civil Aviation Committee and President & MD of Airbus India & South Asia, called SAF a “transformative opportunity” to enhance energy security and fuel sovereignty. Ashish Saraf, Co-Chairman of the FICCI Civil Aviation Committee and Vice President & Country Head (India) at Pratt & Whitney, described SAF as the “cornerstone of India’s Net Zero aviation story”, capable of cutting emissions by up to two-thirds and positioning India as a global export hub for green fuels.
During the summit, the FICCI-KPMG Thought Leadership Report on sustainable aviation was also released, underlining the sector’s growth potential and sustainability initiatives.
