1) Biodiesel can be produced from a variety of vegetable oils or animal fats through a chemical process called transesterification.
2) For high free fatty acid feedstocks, acid catalysis is used first to convert free fatty acids to esters, followed by base catalysis to transesterify triglycerides.
3) Jatropha is a suitable biodiesel crop for India as it grows in varied climates with minimal inputs and its press cake can be used as organic fertilizer. Large-scale cultivation of Jatropha is being demonstrated across India.