IATA, ISMA and Praj Industries to work on global best practices on feedstock use

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is all set to work with the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and Praj Industries to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Pune-based Praj Industries, in an announcement to the exchanges on Tuesday, said that the partnership will focus on conducting a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of SAF, derived from Indian sugarcane via the Ethanol-to-Jet pathway.

Praj, IATA and ISMA aim to determine an accurate Carbon Intensity (CI) number for SAF produced using Indian sugarcane, the announcement said. This metric measures the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of energy generated. This key metric for SAF determines how much cleaner the fuel is compared to conventional jet fuel.

SAF commercialisation

Praj Industries has been actively advancing the development and commercialisation of SAF in India. In collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation and AirAsia India, Praj successfully produced SAF from indigenous feedstock, showcasing its readiness for commercial deployment. Further strengthening its position, Praj’s R&D facility, Praj Matrix, in Pune, houses India’s first integrated SAF demonstration plant, the statement said.

“India has immense potential to become a key player in SAF. This collaboration leverages scientific rigour and global frameworks to ensure our SAF solutions meet the highest standards,” Dr Pramod Chaudhari, Founder Chairman of Praj Industries, said in a statement. 

The three participants will also work together to define and recommend a certification methodology suited to the Indian context.

India is the third-largest oil user after the US and China. It launched the Global Biofuels Alliance to position biofuels as a key to energy transition and economic growth. This includes a target for 2 per cent SAF — a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation which reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 80 per cent — blending for international flights by 2028 with enabling policies such as guaranteed pricing, capital support for new projects and technical standards.

IATA announced that it expects SAF production to reach 2 million tonnes (2.5 billion litres) or 0.7 per cent of airlines’ total fuel consumption in 2025. “And even that relatively small amount will add $4.4 billion globally to the fuel bill. The pace of progress in ramping up production and gaining efficiencies to reduce costs must accelerate,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Published on June 4, 2025