India bets big on bio-energy, SAF exports

New Delhi: India can turn bio-energy into a major export engine and a pillar of energy security, industry leaders said on the sidelines of India Bio-Energy Conference 2026, with calls for a single nodal agency, state-wise resource missions and a big push on implementation for bio-fuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuel."Time now for a big bank announcement and more importantly, the big bank implementation," said Lt Col Monish Ahuja (Retd), Co-Chair of the National Committee on Bio-Energy under the Trade Promotion Council of India.

"Announcements we will make but we need to go on the implementation side for these bio-fuel projects and I think sky is the limit for India."Also Read: Fueling Demand: Inside India’s ethanol mobility revolution in reverseAhuja said India's leadership is already visible through the Global Bio-Fuel Alliance launched during the G20 Presidency and the government's focus on Atma Nirbharta, energy security, net zero and carbon circularity.However, he flagged fragmented governance as the top challenge.

"Capital requirement for this sector, nodal agency for this sector... we still have multiple actions of government dispersed.

Ministry of Agriculture for resource, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Petroleum...

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Rural Development, Finance Ministry...

But where is one single port of call where the bio-energy sector can go?" he asked.

He suggested either a nodal ministry or an independent department to streamline decisions and funding.He also urged a targeted resource mission, adding, "Resource utilization mission should be the way.

Target that the resource of agriculture residue per state, per district, that pinpointed number of development needs to be set," Ahuja said.Looking outward, he said the Global South is watching India's model."Africa, South East Asia, all the agrarian economies.

India's model needs to go there and get replicated.

From compressed bio-gas and 2G ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel, e-methanol for shipping, green hydrogen from biomass and bio-chemicals replacing petrochemicals, he called bio-energy "a molecule and the molecule is a circular clean molecule."Rajesh Mehta, Senior Consultant for Energy & Materials Transition at TNO Netherlands, noted that PM Modi's May visit to the Netherlands produced a strategic partnership covering water, green hydrogen, bioeconomy and semiconductors."Companies are also moving forward with this excitement and trying to explore joint practice," Mehta said.

TNO, which scales lab tech to pilot and deployment, is "really looking forward to engaging with the Indian counterparts... on how can we support them on the technology scalability and also deploying them for the Indian market."Also Read: Maruti Suzuki launches India's first flex-fuel car, bets on biofuels to boost energy securityOn SAF, Rohit Kumar, Secretary General of the SAF Association, said India can meet domestic needs and export."India has the potential to lead the SAF to the world...

We have potential to be a leader in the bio-SAF and e-SAF," he said.Kumar said India could produce 5 to 7% of global SAF, worth "15 to 20 billion dollars annually." Production is about to begin, with Indian Oil starting the first SAF plant at Panipat to meet a 1% blending target from next year.The government has announced blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030, with Kumar saying, "We are waiting for the mandate and hopefully the mandate will come soon."He added that a robust feedstock supply chain and airport infrastructure work are underway with oil marketing companies to keep carbon intensity low and prices competitive.With the West Asia energy crisis putting clean fuels in focus, leaders said the IBEC 2026 gathering of NITI Aayog, energy advisors and oil marketing companies signals readiness.

As Ahuja put it, "I think it is time now." ...