India can become net exporter of sustainable aviation fuel: Boeing exec

A senior Boeing executive stated that India could become a net exporter of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as worldwide initiatives aim to cut carbon emissions in the aviation industry.

During the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi, Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India and South Asia, highlighted the plentiful supply of feedstock, like agricultural waste, that can be utilized for SAF production.

Aviation accounts for about 2–3 percent of worldwide carbon emissions, making SAF an essential approach to reducing them. Gupte remarked that India is set to incorporate 2,500 new civil aircraft in the coming 20 years, solidifying its status as one of the quickest expanding aviation markets. Indian airlines have placed orders for over 1,000 planes in the past few years.

Gupte noted that India’s modern aircraft fleet would support decarbonisation initiatives and proposed that the nation could spearhead the expansion of biofuel production for aviation. He stated the primary challenge would not be in aircraft or engineering technology but in securing an adequate and economical supply of SAF, which presently costs 2.5 to 3.5 times more than conventional Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).

To achieve the worldwide net-zero aviation goal by 2050, yearly output needs to hit 185 million tonnes of SAF. Gupte stated that India, utilizing its diverse feedstock such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste, can generate 8–10 million tonnes each year.

“This means that India can actually provide over 5 per cent of the world’s SAF requirements… India can be an exporter of SAF. This creates an opportunity. This means India can help decarbonise the civil aviation industry,” Gupte said, adding that turning agricultural waste into SAF will be a tremendous opportunity.