According to an official government notification, India has allowed the blending of ethanol and other synthetic or man-made hydrocarbons in aviation turbine fuel (ATF), but has not introduced any immediate mandatory blending requirements,.
The decision comes after amendments to the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Order, 2001 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, which expand the definition of ATF to include blends with synthetic hydrocarbons.
The move is aimed at reducing emissions and lowering dependence on imported crude oil. However, the government has clarified that no compulsory blending targets have been set at this stage. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a gazette notification revising the rules governing marketing and classification of ATF, updating its definition and aligning enforcement provisions with modern criminal procedure laws.
Under the revised framework, ATF now includes conventional hydrocarbon-based fuel meeting IS 1571 specifications, as well as blends containing synthetic hydrocarbons under IS 17081 standards, thereby enabling the use of newer fuel types in aviation.
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ATF is typically produced through crude oil refining. Globally, several countries, including the UK and Japan, are increasingly mandating the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends to reduce carbon emissions. SAF is produced from renewable feedstocks such as waste oils and fats, sugar, cereals, municipal solid waste, wood, agricultural residues, and even captured carbon dioxide, and is sometimes referred to as synthetic or man-made hydrocarbons.
India has set an indicative roadmap to blend 1 per cent SAF in jet fuel for international flights by 2027, increasing to 2 per cent by 2028 and 5 per cent by 2030, in line with the CORSIA framework. However, no blending targets have yet been announced for domestic aviation.
CORSIA, or the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, is an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-led global mechanism that requires airlines to offset carbon emissions from international flights above 2020 levels. While participation is voluntary from 2021 to 2026, it becomes largely mandatory from 2027 to 2035, with the goal of achieving carbon-neutral growth in international aviation.
The ministry’s notification also updates enforcement provisions, bringing search and seizure procedures under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, replacing earlier legal references.
The amended order, titled the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Amendment Order, 2026, comes into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette.
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