What inspired the creation of the India SAF Alliance, and as its inaugural chairman, how optimistic are you about its impact?
Jimmy Olsson: India is one of the few countries in the world that has got the possibility & opportunity to become ‘Number One’ sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider across the globe and produce the best quality stuff. There is no doubt in my mind that India has farmers, biomass, agriculture, sun, land, population and a fantastic location.
India’s biofuel journey is marked by numerous challenges. What obstacles do you think stand in the way?
Jimmy Olsson: Price is the biggest challenge but I think if you know how to do work in India, things happen extremely fast. The way the Government of India has handled the ethanol blending program, it’s has been the fastest roll out on that scale anywhere in the world. There are less challenges & people have to realise. If you are in the system, you can work to execute things & you should take advantage of opportunities that India provides in terms of reducing the capex. You take engineering, design etc. from overseas and make technologies in India something that we are doing.
India heavily relies for most of the technologies in SAF and other biofuels from overseas. How will you create a balance here?
Jimmy Olsson: There are two parts to this. First there is design & engineering part where there is no problem. If these come from overseas, you can localize them over a period of time. Second, with regards to fabrication, construction or implementation, I think there is more than enough capacities here. India has engineers & industries that make things happen. I think there is tremendous opportunity.
The SAF is a relatively new concept globally, even in Western markets. Based on your experience in developed economies, what key insights or best practices do you see as most relevant for India?
Jimmy Olsson: India has less things to learn and India should set its own roadmap. Why should India look at the rest of the world. Technology do exist today. India should take the technology, implement it here, localize the cost and the roll out like it did with ethanol blending program. I’m confident that in the next 7-8 years, India by far will be one of the largest producers of SAF. And we surely want to be a significant player in this.
What policy support you expect from the government?
Jimmy Olsson: I think certain basics should be there. They have to harmonize the GST rates, which are not yet set for SAF. So, I think that government has to mandate that relatively quickly and I’m sure they will do. This will have an impact. The Government of India has to decide today whether they want to focus on exporting SAF or consume SAF domestically. We don’t want to end up in a catch’22 situation where suddenly you expand export and then the Central Government says that we have to sell it in India and the players are not ready to pay the price. That will become a mismatch. These are the two major decisions that should be taken fast. Everything else is there. We should not wait for the government and rather we should push the government.
How enthusiastic is Indian industry towards SAF?
Jimmy Olsson: The Indian industry is loving SAF. People are listening about it and it’s exciting. We have to see the situation when it comes to implementation part because there is need of substantial amount of funds and who will put in that money. That’s a million dollar question that who would start investing money and who would take the lead. Only time will tell, but I’m sure that it will be good at the end of the day.
What discussion did you have with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today?
Jimmy Olsson: We discussed the SAF and were laughing together. We were on the same page that if we don’t control the cost, then this is not financially viable and then who is going to pay for it. We had a laugh around that. I think he had put a challenge and we are glad that he accepts the challenge. It’s a right challenge as anyone who enters the field has to control the cost. We had a good discussion around that.
What’s your message for the entrepreneurs who look to enter the SAF production or supply chain?
Jimmy Olsson: Well, the SAF sector sounds like one single industry but when you dissect, there are 7-8 different sectors there and people can specialize in each one of them. Its upto their understanding as to how to profile themselves based on skill sets, expertise & experience.
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I express my deepest gratitude for your groundbreaking efforts in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and zero-emission technology. His minus-zero emission innovative approach is essential for the future of aviation and our planet, and it inspires many.
India's commitment to sustainable aviation addresses global environmental challenges, and your work makes us proud. The government and regulatory bodies must support such initiatives to become global leaders under the "Make in India" campaign.
His vision paves the way for a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future, and he richly deserves this recognition.