Jatropha incentives in India is a part of India's goal to achieve energy independence by the year 2012. Jatropha oil is produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in wastelands across India. Jatropha oil is considered to be an excellent source of bio-diesel. India is keen on reducing its dependence on coal and petroleum to meet its increasing energy demand and encouraging Jatropha cultivation is a crucial component of its energy policy. In general, India's strategy is the encouragement of the development of renewable sources of energy by the use of incentives by the federal and state governments. Other examples of encouragement by incentive include the use of nuclear energy (India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act), promoting wind farms such as Muppandal, and solar energy (Ralegaon Siddhi).

The Government of India has identified 400,000 square kilometres (98 million acres) of land where Jatropha can be grown, hoping it will replace 20% of India's diesel consumption by 2011. This has provided much needed employment to the rural poor of India and also a means to energy Independence to India.

India's interest in the succulent plant Jatropha is as a renewable energy source as well as a way of addressing general social issues such as unemployment. Large plots of waste land have been selected for Jatropha cultivation that will provide much needed employment to the rural poor of India. Businesses are also seeing the planting of Jatropha as a good business opportunity.

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