India shows moderate readiness for SAF adoption: Boeing-RSB report

New Delhi, Sep 29. India has achieved an overall 52 percent readiness level for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) adoption, indicating moderate but improving preparedness as the country moves towards wider use of low-carbon aviation fuels, according to a new assessment by Boeing and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB).

The report, released in New Delhi on September 29, provides an evidence-based roadmap for India’s next phase of SAF development amid rapidly expanding demand for air travel.

RSB assessed India’s preparedness across nine key dimensions – feedstock availability, production capacity, policy and regulation, supply chains and logistics, market demand, investment and financing, research and development, technology readiness, and enabling infrastructure and services.

The assessment identifies existing strengths while highlighting areas requiring further development before SAF can be adopted on a larger scale.

India has set a target of blending 1 percent SAF by 2027, 2 percent by 2028 and 5 percent by 2030. The country is also committed to participating in the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2027.

Demand could reach 720 million litres by 2030

Under a 5 percent SAF blending scenario in 2030, demand from India’s domestic and international aviation sectors is projected at approximately 720 million litres, or about 0.6 million tonnes annually, the report said.

This compares with an estimated potential SAF production capacity of 14-33 million tonnes a year, suggesting that the country could potentially produce substantially more SAF than the volume required under the 5 percent blending scenario.

However, the report cautions that production potential alone will not determine India’s ability to develop a viable SAF market. Progress will also depend on building the wider ecosystem covering feedstock, infrastructure, logistics, financing, technology and policy support.

Need for coordinated approach

The assessment calls for greater coordination among the government, airlines, fuel producers, investors and other stakeholders to create the conditions required for a sustainable SAF market.

Boeing India and South Asia President Salil Gupte said India’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets gave it an important role in advancing sustainable aviation.

He said a deliberate and research-based approach to SAF adoption would be essential and described the assessment as useful in identifying both the country’s existing capabilities and areas where further action was required.

RSB Executive Director Bettina Paschke said India’s SAF opportunity was substantial and that the assessment provided stakeholders with a common evidence base for developing the sector.

The organisation said continued collaboration would be necessary to translate India’s potential into measurable sustainability outcomes.

Boeing backs SAF ecosystem development

Boeing said it remained committed to supporting airline customers and policymakers in India and other markets in meeting their emissions-reduction objectives.

The company said building a robust SAF ecosystem would require coordinated action across government, industry, financial institutions and other stakeholders.

The report comes as India seeks to reconcile rapid growth in aviation demand with its broader emissions-reduction objectives. SAF is regarded as one of the key options available to the aviation sector for reducing lifecycle carbon emissions, particularly for aircraft and routes where direct electrification or hydrogen-powered propulsion remains difficult.