Energetica India Magazine May - June 2026

VP and GM Honeywell Process Technology, India RANJIT KULKARNI Q SAF is increasingly seen as a critical lever for decarbonis- ing aviation. How do you assess the current role of SAF and biocrude in addressing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation and maritime? Ranjit Kulkarni: Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, is one of the most practical near-term levers for reducing aviation emissions because it works in existing aircraft and airport fuel systems – no major retrofits needed. The same holds for mar - itime shipping, which moves most of the world’s trade and remains a major emissions source. Biocrude adds a powerful pathway: it turns agricultural waste and forestry residues into an intermediate that refiners can upgrade into SAF, re - newable diesel, or marine fuels. For hard-to-abate sectors, the value is clear: drop-in compat- ibility, up to 80 percent lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emis- sions, and a realistic route to scale without waiting for entire- ly new fleets or infrastructure. These solutions are no longer theoretical. They are increasingly part of the near-term de - carbonisation toolkit, especially for airlines and shipping operators that need deployable options today. Recent policy moves, such as the government’s April 2026 amendment al- lowing SAF blending in jet fuel, will further strengthen this momentum. Q India has an abundance of agricultural residues and a growing ethanol industry. How can these resources be ef- fectively leveraged to scale SAF and biocrude production? Ranjit Kulkarni: India has a strong advantage because of its large agricultural residue base and a growing ethanol eco- system. The opportunity lies in connecting those resources through a stronger supply chain. The first step is to build local aggregation and pre-processing systems so residue can be con- verted and moved more efficiently through the value chain. Ethanol can also play a useful role, especially in alcohol-to-jet pathways and in hybrid fuel strategies that combine multi- ple renewable inputs. Just as important, the ecosystem needs aggregation models that bring together farmers, aggregators, and fuel producers at scale, because residue supply is too frag- mented to rely on one-off sourcing. This is also where policy and private capital need to work to - gether. When residue collection is organised, offtake is visi - ble, and conversion pathways are aligned to local feedstock availability, SAF projects become far more investable. That is the difference between a promising idea and a bankable com- mercial model. Once that collection layer is in place, projects become far more bankable, since lenders and investors can see consistent feedstock availability, clearer logistics, and a more predictable path to commercial operation. A diversified ap - proach across residues, ethanol, municipal waste, and used cooking oil will be key to building resilience and scale. Q How is Honeywell’s technology portfolio supporting ad- vanced feedstock conversion, particularly in challenging feedstock categories? Ranjit Kulkarni: Our portfolio is built to handle a wide range of feedstocks, including some of the more challenging ones. Ecofining converts vegetable oils, animal fats, greases, and I ndia has a strong advantage because of its large agri- cultural residue base and a growing ethanol ecosystem. The opportunity lies in connecting those resources through a stronger supply chain, said Ranjit Kulkarni, VP & GM, Honeywell Process Technology, India, in an interview with Energetica India. 30 energetica INDIA- May-June_2026 INTERVIEW