Boeing and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials released a study on Wednesday, scoring India’s readiness to produce sustainable aviation fuel at 52 % for the middle of 2026.
India has set a roadmap to blend 1 % SAF by 2027, 2 % by 2028 and 5 % by 2030, while stepping into the mandatory phase of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CORSIA program the same year.
The readiness assessment breaks down into several pillars: feedstock readiness tops the list at 78 %, production capacity and technology each sit at 60 %, while policy and regulation earn a 53 % score. Research and development lag at 50 %, and the weakest links—supply chain and logistics, investment and financing, enabling infrastructure and services—hover around 40 %. Market demand is the lowest at a mere 30 %.
India’s theoretical SAF production potential ranges from 14 million to 33 million tonnes a year, based on available feedstock resources. In stark contrast, demand under a 5 % blending scenario is projected at about 720 million litres a year by 2030, roughly 0.6 million tonnes. The gap shows India has more feedstock than it can use, but the real challenge is turning that potential into a dependable commercial supply.
The report’s authors note that the hurdle is less about production capacity and more about building a system that makes production commercially viable. Policy and R&D show strategic intent, yet investment, market demand and infrastructure remain weak.
To close the readiness gap, India must sharpen its policy framework, secure financing, and stimulate market demand ahead of the 2027 CORSIA rollout. The next milestone will be a government‑led review of SAF incentives slated for early 2025, which could set the pace for scaling up production.