ABSTRACT
India has been reliant on fossil fuels due to growing energy demands for the last two decades. Due to the inadequate supply and concerns associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, its dependency has declined. By substituting conventional fossil fuels, biofuel can become one of the most promising sustainable energy resources to fulfill the higher energy demand in the future. Moreover, the biofuel industry is in the initial stage due to impediments in the technical, economic, social, and regulatory framework. Developing technologies for producing bioethanol and biodiesel from biowaste are helping the nation and booming commercially nowadays. Biofuel has the potential to stimulate rural development by generating empowerment and creating environmental and economic benefits. The biofuel industrial sector has shown promising results and could serve as a potential source of substantial employment in the near future. However, sustainable key indicators encompassing social and economic factors need to be evaluated properly in different scenarios to incorporate biofuel policy successfully. In the last two decades, much attention has been given to biofuel production and policy intervention by the Government of India. Policy intervention is overviewed in this chapter, dedicating particular thought to blending targets, support schemes, and feedstock use. This chapter also discusses sustainable development goals (SDGs), key sustainable indicators, and socioeconomic aspects of biofuels from an Indian perspective.
