In a significant move toward decarbonizing aviation, global engineering conglomerate Honeywell, engineering giant Tata Projects, and renewable fuels firm SAF One announced a strategic collaboration at Wings India 2026 to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facilities leveraging India’s abundant waste oil feedstocks.
The partnership, which includes plans for India to become one of SAF One’s global production hubs, represents a convergence of technology, capital, and market demand at a critical juncture for aviation’s environmental sustainability.
“Our Ecofining process technology broadens the potential feedstock base for SAF and enables producers to adapt to shifting market conditions and resource availability,” stated Rajesh Gattupalli, President of Honeywell UOP. “By leveraging our experience and continuous advancements in process engineering, we aim to make SAF production more economically feasible.”
Honeywell’s UOP Ecofining Process
Honeywell’s UOP Ecofining™ technology, developed in collaboration with Italian energy firm Eni S.p.A., converts used cooking oil, waste animal fats, and other renewable feedstocks into drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) meeting global aviation standards (ASTM D7566, EASA Special Conditions).
The technology operates at relatively modest capital intensity and can be retrofitted into existing petroleum refinery infrastructure—accelerating deployment timelines compared to building facilities from scratch. A single Ecofining facility can produce 5,000-10,000 barrels of SAF daily, generating substantial revenue from waste feedstocks previously designated as disposal costs.
Critically, SAF produced through the Ecofining process reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil kerosene while meeting identical performance specifications. Aircraft can utilize SAF as a drop-in replacement without requiring modifications to engines, fuel systems, or aircraft infrastructure—a decisive advantage over alternative decarbonization pathways.
India’s Feedstock Advantage
India generates approximately 1.5 million metric tons of waste cooking oil annually from food processing, restaurants, and consumer waste streams. Additionally, the livestock industry produces millions of metric tons of used animal fats. These waste feedstocks can be converted into drop-in SAF meeting global aviation standards without competing with food or land resources.
Unlike developed nations where waste streams are already organized and monetized, India’s waste feedstocks remain largely unprocessed, creating immediate supply opportunity. The collaborative model—SAF One handling feedstock aggregation, Tata Projects providing engineering and construction, Honeywell supplying process technology—addresses a critical market gap.
“Waste oil collection and preprocessing infrastructure does not currently exist at scale in India,” explained a SAF One representative. “Our model creates organized supply chains, aggregating used cooking oil from food processors, commercial kitchens, and recyclers into feedstock supplies suitable for SAF production.”
Airlines Embracing Sustainable Fuel
Airlines are actively seeking SAF supply to meet emerging government mandates and corporate sustainability commitments. The European Union mandated 2 percent SAF blending in jet fuel by 2025, escalating to 70 percent by 2050. The United States has similar mandates under development. Major airlines including United, Lufthansa, KLM, and others have committed to SAF adoption pathways.
Indian Oil Corporation and Akasa Air signed a Letter of Intent at Wings India 2026 to explore sustainable aviation fuel sourcing and supply. The LOI signals that India’s domestic carriers are ready to adopt SAF once supply chains are established at competitive pricing.
Akasa Air, India’s newest airline focused on regional connectivity, has positioned sustainability as a core brand pillar. The Indian Oil partnership enables the carrier to offer SAF-blended flights while supporting India’s broader decarbonization objectives.
The Supply Chain Integration Model
The Honeywell-Tata-SAF One collaboration demonstrates vertical supply chain integration:
Feedstock Aggregation: SAF One will develop waste oil collection and preprocessing infrastructure, creating organized supply of used cooking oil and animal fats from India’s food processing and livestock industries.
Fuel Production: Tata Projects, the engineering and construction arm of the Tata Group, will serve as Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partner. Tata possesses deep expertise in complex industrial facility development, having constructed petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, and power facilities across Asia.
Fuel Distribution: Indian Oil Corporation provides existing fuel distribution infrastructure and retail relationships with major carriers and airports. The company can blend SAF into the national jet fuel supply, creating seamless integration into existing aviation fuel distribution networks.
Demand Pull: Airlines including Akasa Air and others drive market demand, creating price signals that incentivize supply chain development. As mandates for SAF blending increase globally, demand will escalate sharply.
Cost Competitive Positioning
India’s positioning as a SAF production hub reflects several competitive advantages. Labor costs are substantially lower than in North America, Western Europe, or developed Asia, creating production cost advantages. India’s capacity utilization rates in existing refineries provide infrastructure leveraging. The nation’s geographic positioning at the intersection of major air corridors connecting Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Australia enables SAF produced in India to supply growing regional demand cost-effectively.
The government has signaled support for SAF development through research funding and regulatory support. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has explicitly identified SAF as a priority technology for India’s aviation sector.
Timeline to Commercial Scale
Commercial-scale SAF production facilities typically require 3-5 years from project initiation to operational readiness. The Honeywell-Tata-SAF One partnership is expected to achieve operational status within this timeline, with the first facility producing 5,000+ barrels of SAF daily.
If India can establish 5-10 commercial-scale SAF facilities by 2035, producing 50,000+ barrels daily, the nation would rank among the world’s largest SAF producers—generating ₹20,000+ crore in annual revenues and positioning India as a critical player in global aviation decarbonization.
Regulatory Momentum
SAF is not emerging technology—it is commercially available now. Over 50 aviation fueling facilities globally have licensed Honeywell’s SAF technologies, with anticipated combined capacity exceeding 500,000 barrels of SAF per day when fully operational.
The regulatory framework supporting SAF adoption is accelerating. The European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation mandate, U.S. sustainable aviation fuel incentives (Inflation Reduction Act), and emerging mandates in Singapore, the UK, and other nations create structural demand for SAF that will persist for decades.
India’s opportunity is to build production, distribution, and demand infrastructure now—capitalizing on first-mover advantages in a market where global demand will remain constrained by supply for the next 5-10 years.
Waste to Wings
The Honeywell-Tata-SAF One collaboration exemplifies how India can leverage its natural advantages (waste feedstocks, lower costs, geographic positioning, existing fuel distribution infrastructure) to address global aviation challenges (decarbonization) while creating substantial economic value (fuel production, employment, export revenue).
Sustainable aviation fuel is not a future technology—it is available now, producing 80 percent emissions reductions, and meeting global aviation fuel standards. India’s role is to build the production, distribution, and demand infrastructure to scale SAF deployment regionally and globally.
For India’s aviation sector, SAF production represents a pathway to becoming simultaneously environmentally responsible and economically prosperous.
– Raja Ilapuram
