By A Correspondent
New Delhi: Airbus India and South Asia president and managing director Jürgen Westermeier has made a strong pitch for India to treat Sustainable Aviation Fuel as both a climate and economic game-changer.
Calling SAF “the single most crucial lever” to decarbonise global aviation, Westermeier said its adoption is vital for the industry’s survival, competitiveness, and environmental credibility.
“This is not just about reducing emissions — it’s about securing India’s energy independence, creating jobs, and transforming agricultural waste into clean fuel,” he said. “SAF is a transformative opportunity for India.”
At the India Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Summit organised by FICCI in New Delhi on Nov. 6, 2025, Westermeier noted that aviation’s path to net-zero emissions depends on industry-wide collaboration — not just airlines or fuel producers.
He urged corporations, policymakers, and academia to work together to scale SAF production domestically.
According to industry projections he cited, a robust domestic SAF ecosystem could create between 1.1 and 1.4 million jobs while productively utilising over 230 million tonnes of surplus agricultural residue.
“Coupled with India’s deep technology talent, this revolution could rapidly scale waste-to-fuel conversion technologies,” he added.
In a strong appeal to Indian corporations, Westermeier called for voluntary participation in airline-led SAF programmes, suggesting that even partial purchases for business travel could send “a powerful and immediate demand signal” to the market.
“By doing so, companies aren’t just offsetting emissions — they are acting as catalysts for a national industrial transformation,” he said.
Turning to policy, Westermeier urged the Indian government to recognise corporate SAF contributions as eligible spending under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) norms.
He argued that since voluntary SAF programmes directly contribute to climate mitigation, recognising them as CSR would “unlock a substantial, new pool of capital” to fuel India’s green transition.
“Such a policy shift would instantly turn a compliance requirement into a powerful engine for a green and sovereign energy future,” Westermeier emphasised.
His remarks come as global aviation faces increasing pressure under international frameworks like CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) to cut carbon emissions.
For India, one of the fastest-growing aviation markets, SAF represents both a sustainability imperative and a strategic opportunity to lead the global green aviation revolution.
Airbus appointed Jürgen Westermeier as India and South Asia president and managing director in Aug. 2025, and he took over his new role in September. Previously, he was Airbus executive vice president and chief procurement officer.
Westermeier succeeded Rémi Maillard, who moved to a new role as Airbus executive vice president, engineering for commercial aircraft and head of technology.
In his new role, Westermeier spearheads Airbus’ business in India and South Asia, across commercial aircraft, defence and space, and helicopters.
He is now responsible for commercial aircraft sales and for expanding the company’s footprint in the region, which includes services, engineering, digital, innovation, and training.
Westermeier also advances Airbus’ commitment to ‘Make in India’ by supporting the company’s campaigns aligned to this vision.
Westermeier, aged 53, joined Airbus as chief procurement officer in 2020, where he was in charge of procurement across Airbus divisions. Forging strong partnerships with suppliers, he led the development and application of procurement processes and tools across the company.
Westermeier started his career in 1998 at BMW, where he held strategic positions across information services, motorcycle purchasing, quality management, supplier network, and cost engineering.
NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on Arattai.
NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on Telegram.
NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on WhatsApp.
