New Delhi: India is making steady progress towards adopting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), according to a new report by Boeing and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). However, the report highlights that gaps in policy, infrastructure and other areas continue to constrain India’s ability to move from ambition to large-scale production.
The report gives India an overall SAF readiness score of 52 per cent. The assessment is based on conditions prevailing around the middle of 2026 and is intended to measure the country’s domestic readiness.
The findings come as India prepares for an expansion of its aviation sector while seeking to reduce the carbon intensity of air travel. India has indicated SAF blending targets of 1 per cent by 2027, 2 per cent by 2028 and 5 per cent by 2030. The country is also set to enter the mandatory phase of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2027.
According to the report, India’s primary challenge is not a shortage of potential feedstock or technical capability. Instead, the bigger task is to establish the system required to convert this potential into a dependable commercial supply of fuel.
India’s feedstock readiness is assessed at 78 per cent, while SAF production capacity and technology readiness each score 60 per cent. Policy and regulation scores 53 per cent, followed by research and development at 50 per cent.
However, several areas continue to lag. Supply chain and logistics score 45 per cent, while investment and financing and enabling infrastructure and services each stand at 40 per cent. Market demand is the weakest area, with a score of just 30 per cent.
The report estimates India’s theoretical SAF production potential at 14 million to 33 million tonnes annually, based on available feedstock resources. In comparison, SAF demand under a 5 per cent blending scenario covering both domestic and international aviation is projected to reach approximately 720 million litres annually by 2030, equivalent to roughly 0.6 million tonnes.
The difference between the country’s estimated production potential and projected demand highlights India’s considerable resource availability relative to its near-term requirements. However, the challenge lies in ensuring that these resources can be reliably integrated into the production system.
Another key finding is that India’s SAF challenge is less about its ability to produce the fuel and more about creating the conditions necessary to make production commercially viable.
Policy and research and development are identified as areas demonstrating progress and strategic intent. However, investment and financing, market demand, and enabling infrastructure and services remain particularly weak.
The report describes India’s 52 per cent SAF readiness score as evidence of momentum constrained by structural gaps rather than a lack of ambition or capability.
