When Kishan Karunakaran founded Buyofuel in 2020, it was built on the back of real-world experience and hard lessons from India’s early biofuel journey. He set up Tamil Nadu’s first commercial-scale biodiesel plant in 2008, from cultivating Jatropha to producing biodiesel. However, they shut it down in 2014, as fragmented feedstock sourcing made it hard for small manufacturers to manage operations and supply corporates. That challenge inspired a new solution—Buyofuel was born to let manufacturers focus on what they do best—producing biofuels—while the platform handled feedstock and connected them to demand at scale. Together with his co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Karunakaran built a technology-led system rooted in a shared vision for sustainability.

Today, Buyofuel isn’t just a supply chain platform—it’s an enabler of climate action. It has helped users sequester over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 in just two years, offering real-time emissions tracking through a sustainability dashboard that’s free to all clients. Under Kishan’s leadership, Buyofuel is not just moving biofuels—it’s moving the sector forward.

How did you get into biofuels? What led to the start of biofuel.com?
I set up Tamil Nadu’s first commercial-scale biodiesel plant in 2008, from cultivating Jatropha to producing biodiesel. We shut it down by 2014, as fragmented feedstock sourcing made it hard for small manufacturers to manage operations and supply corporates. This led to biofuel.com in 2020, to help manufacturers focus on production while we handled feedstock and connected them to large buyers. We built a tech platform for the biofuel and waste sector. My co-founder and I shared a passion for sustainability. Biofuel.com was shaped by that vision and my earlier experience in the field.

Why was biofuel.com needed? How does your tech platform bridge the gap between feedstock suppliers and biofuel companies?
The main challenge was that manufacturers couldn’t handle feedstock sourcing, operations, and marketing simultaneously. On the other side, large fuel consumers found it hard to shift from fossil fuels to biofuels.

Fossil fuels were easy—they came from reliable, organised players like Indian Oil or BPCL, with consistent quality. In contrast, biofuels came from many small, unorganised players with no quality standards or transparency. Even with government mandates, companies hesitated to switch.

About 70% of India’s energy use comes from just 10 sectors. Decarbonising them can drastically cut emissions. But these sectors lacked confidence in small biofuel players, who couldn’t guarantee quantity, quality, or reliability. They needed someone to aggregate feedstock from multiple small suppliers, ensure transparency and quality assurance, and take responsibility for delivery.

That’s what we did with biofuel.com. For waste sellers—like agro-processing industries generating agro-residues—there wasn’t a consistent market. Traders would come only during peak season, so there was no year-round income. Many sellers didn’t get fair value due to 4–5 middlemen. They’d either sell cheap, dump the waste in landfills, or burn it—keeping this waste out of the biofuel value chain.

Our tech platform allowed us to source directly from them and supply to actual buyers. Sellers got better prices and a year-round market. With no middlemen, waste and residues started flowing steadily into the biofuel supply chain.

Once we solved the problems for both buyers and sellers, biofuel manufacturing and supply started scaling up.

What’s the price range for different residues?
It varies widely—we handle all types of biofuels and feedstock waste from any human activity, so it’s a vast SKU range. Agro-residues typically range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 per tonne. In some cases, it can go up to ?10,000 per tonne.

For example, sugarcane residue (magas) is expensive, but not the highest. Cashew shell is the most expensive, at Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per tonne. Magas ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 per tonne. Paddy straw is cheaper—Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per tonne.

Why the difference in price?
It comes down to calorific value. Cashew shell has a very high calorific value—it generates more energy per kilogram burned, which drives up its price. That’s the main factor determining the value of agro-residues.

Because your platform is completely technology-based, how are rural farmers—who are direct sellers—coming to know about it? Do you have kiosks or help centres to inform them that such a platform exists?

That’s a very good question. These are rural sellers, and for many of them, it’s their first digital transaction. While we operate through a tech platform, we also have a strong physical presence on the ground across all the geographies we serve. Seller acquisition is mostly driven by our field teams.

Once we establish a presence in an area and sellers begin to experience the benefits, word-of-mouth helps us grow. Others in the community start joining the digital platform organically. But the first point of contact is always through our field team.

In rural areas, people still prefer having someone they can speak to in person. There’s a general lack of trust in digital-only systems, so our on-ground presence remains essential.

Which regions do you currently operate in? How much agricultural residue or waste do you collect from these states each year?
We are active in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, NCR, and Karnataka. Our Maharashtra team also manages operations in Gujarat. We collect around 120,000 to 160,000 tonnes annually.

Let’s talk about the sustainability dashboard on your website. How does it work? How can a company calculate its carbon or emissions reduction from using biofuels?
The dashboard is based on the GHG Protocol, which is an internationally accepted emissions accounting method. The carbon savings vary depending on the type of biofuel, the residue it’s made from, and the kind of fossil fuel being replaced.

For instance, biodiesel replacing diesel results in lower carbon savings than rice husk briquettes replacing coal, since coal is a much higher emitter.

Our platform tracks what fuel a client purchases and what fossil fuel it displaces. Since we manage the end-to-end transaction, we know the quantity delivered and can make accurate, real-time emissions reduction calculations.

That’s one of the key reasons large corporates stick with us—it gives them transparent, verifiable visibility into how much carbon they’re saving.

Because your platform is fully technology-based, how do farmers—especially first-time digital users—get onboarded? Are there kiosks or help centers?
These are rural sellers, and for many, it’s their first digital transaction. While we operate digitally, we have a strong physical field team across our regions. Seller acquisition happens through this team. Once we enter a geography, word spreads through experience and referrals. But yes, rural sellers prefer a contact point, so our physical presence is crucial to build trust.

What regions do you currently operate in?
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, NCR, and Karnataka. Our Maharashtra team also handles Gujarat.

How much agricultural residue or waste do you collect from these states annually?
Around 120,000 to 160,000 tonnes per year.

Tell us about the sustainability dashboard on your site. How does it help companies measure emissions reduction?
It’s based on the GHG Protocol. The dashboard calculates savings based on the fuel purchased and the fossil fuel it replaces. For example, briquettes replacing coal have higher reductions than biodiesel replacing diesel. Because the transaction happens through our platform, we can calculate savings in real time with accuracy. This gives corporates visibility into their carbon reduction.

Can this data be monetised into carbon credits?
For now, it’s useful for reporting. Monetising carbon credits is still challenging, but we are working on it.

How does this help companies understand their environmental impact?
It gives them real-time data on emission reduction, encouraging greater biofuel usage. That’s the dashboard’s core objective.

What about compliance mandates like the E20 ethanol blending or decarbonising heavy industry?
Yes, mandates drive demand. We supply ethanol for the E20 mandate and help steel, cement, and paper companies replace at least 10% of their fossil fuels with biofuels.

You handle sensitive data. How do you ensure traceability and audit accuracy?
We track how much fossil fuel is replaced, the source of biomass, and emissions reduced. If we manage the full value chain, traceability is near 100%. Where we don’t, we’re building systems to capture data from weight slips and e-way bills automatically. We’re also exploring ISEC certification for audit and sustainability assurance.

Has this visibility improved buyer confidence?
Earlier, biofuel adoption was low due to lack of transparency. Now, our dashboard offers traceability, making it easier for companies to adopt and report.

How many clients currently use your dashboard?
Between 60 to 100 clients use it regularly. All our transactions go through the platform, so the dashboard is actively used.

Can companies use this data for ESG or BRSR filings?
While our dashboard isn't built to meet all 9 ESG frameworks directly, clients use it as input into their own ESG platforms. It tracks actual emission reduction from biofuels.

What challenges have you faced in achieving traceability from farm to buyer?
The main challenge is ensuring reliable input data when we don’t control the full chain. To solve this, we’re developing a plugin to auto-capture data like e-way bills and weight slips to reduce manual errors and improve traceability.

Have you measured any other environmental impact, like landfill emissions avoided?
So far, we have only tracked direct emissions. Measuring lifecycle emissions and landfill avoidance is next on our roadmap. We’re working on building robust data models for that.