New Delhi, Apr 22 — India has permitted blending of ethanol and other synthetic hydrocarbons with aviation turbine fuel (ATF), expanding the fuel’s definition under existing rules to reduce oil imports and emissions, the government said.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, through a gazette notification amending the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Order, 2001, said ATF will now include “blends with synthetic hydrocarbons” alongside conventional refinery-derived fuel.
“ATF is defined as a mixture of hydrocarbons meeting IS 1571 specifications, or blends with synthetic hydrocarbons under IS 17081 standards,” the notification said, enabling the use of newer fuel variants, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Officials said the move is intended to lower dependence on imported crude and curb emissions from the aviation sector, but clarified that “no mandatory blending targets have been prescribed” at this stage.
ATF, traditionally produced from crude oil refining, is a major cost component for airlines and a key contributor to India’s import bill. The revised norms also align enforcement provisions with updated criminal procedures under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
Globally, countries including the United Kingdom and Japan have moved toward mandated SAF blending to cut aviation emissions. SAF is produced from renewable sources such as used cooking oil, agricultural residue, municipal waste, and even captured carbon dioxide, and is often categorised as a synthetic or man-made hydrocarbon.
India has outlined a phased plan for SAF use in international aviation, targeting 1 per cent blending by 2027, 2 per cent by 2028, and 5 per cent by 2030 in line with global carbon offsetting frameworks. No such targets have been specified for domestic flights so far.