Founded in 2012 by Mainak Chakraborty and Sreekrishna Sankar, GPS Renewables has grown from a two-member startup into a 900-strong clean-tech leader with revenues crossing ₹ 1,000 crore. In an interaction with CW, Vikraman Venu, Senior Vice President - SAF and Strategic Partnerships, GPS Renewables, discusses Project NG SAF – the company’s collaboration with CSIR-NCL to commercialise India’s first ethanol-to-jet (SAF) technology, marking a milestone in sustainable aviation fuel production and reinforcing India’s leadership in indigenous clean-energy innovation.How did the collaboration with CSIR-NCL evolve and how did you translate a lab-scale concept into commercial viability?GPS Renewables explored several global ethanol-to-jet-fuel technologies and discovered that no commercial-scale plant had yet succeeded. This gap inspired the collaboration with CSIR-NCL to develop an indigenous, catalyst-based, ethanol-to-SAF pathway.NCL provides the catalyst while ethanol can come from either 1G (grain or corn) or 2G (agricultural residue/straw) routes. The process itself is feedstock agnostic. The project now stands at the design phase, with commercial-scale deployment targeted around 2029, following pilot demonstration.What were the key technical and supply-chain challenges in selecting 2G ethanol feedstock and the oligomerisation route versus HEFA?Producing 2G ethanol from agricultural residue remains costly: Rs 120-180 per litre compared to Rs 50-60 for grain-based 1G ethanol. The core challenge, therefore, lies in feedstock economics, not conversion chemistry. The ethanol-to-SAF process being developed with NCL works with either 1G or 2G feedstock. While there is surplus 1G ethanol, GPS is also trying to see if 2G ethanol can be viable. 1G Ethanol uses food to produce fuel.What major engineering, catalyst-lifetime and scale-up issues have you encountered or anticipate in moving to commercial-scale SAF production?The defining innovation is the assembly of small ethanol molecules into longer SAF molecules, a new reaction step codeveloped with NCL. The rest of the process resembles a mini-refinery. Scale-up – from 1,000 litre to 100,000-200,000 litre – will require extensive modelling and optimisation. GPS is experimenting with different catalyst families, where AI tools could predict high-performance variants and assist in process-scale simulation.How are you addressing infrastructure aspects such as plant siting, feedstock logistics and integration with aviation fuel supply chains?While sites are yet to be finalised, selection will hinge on proximity to ethanol hubs and airports. Potential regions include the Northeast (for bamboo-based ethanol) and Central India (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) for sugar and corn-based ethanol. Transporting ethanol long distances is uneconomical, so the company intends to demonstrate one pilot site first and replicate thereafter.In what ways does the NG SAF project embody circular-economy and sustainability principles compared to incumbent pathways?The initiative fully aligns with circular-economy principles, using waste-derived ethanol rather than food crops and ensuring minimal additional CO₂ release. If ethanol production and conversion are executed sustainably and efficiently, the project achieves true circularity: recycling carbon and converting waste into high-value aviation fuel.What regulatory, certification, financing and offtake challenges do you foresee for a domestic ethanol-to-SAF pathway and how will they be addressed?Certification must follow the ASTM D7566 protocol, which is mandatory for aircraft and engine manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, GE, Safran and Rolls-Royce. Financing will mirror a startup model requiring proof of concept and investor confidence. GPS Renewables’ strong record – including $ 95 million investment from Sojitz Corporation (Japan) in its biogas projects – offers credibility. Once the pilot demonstrates success, scaling funds should be accessible given the $ 400 billion global SAF market. Beyond NG SAF, what frontier innovations is GPS Renewables exploring in infrastructure, energy and technology that will shape the next chapter?The company is simultaneously developing sustainable marine fuel (SMF), a low-carbon alternative for shipping, another long-haul sector reliant on liquid fuels. Broadly, GPS Renewables continues to focus on waste-to-energy systems that reduce fossil-based emissions. Its philosophy is clear: Build solutions in India, for the world. Just as UPI showcased India’s digital leadership for financial technology, NG SAF aims to prove that India can pioneer next-generation, clean-fuel technology for global deployment.