Abstract It is the need of the hour to quell the enormous demand of fossil fuels by extending the horizon towards Low Viscous Biofuels. An experimental investigation was carried out to study the performance of the diesel engine, its combustion behaviour and emission aspects while operating it with biofuels viz. camphor oil (CMO), cedarwood oil (CWO), wintergreen oil (WGO) and lemon peel oil (LPO). These fuels were blended with diesel oil by 20% in volume, and the respective blends were compared with the diesel. The engine tests were carried out with a common rail direct injection (CRDi) system. The study unveils that Low Viscous Biofuels blended with diesel form an efficient substitute fuel; starting with the improvement in the brake thermal efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and reduction in other emissions. The NO emission of low viscous biofuels seems predominately higher. Wintergreen oil as one of the dense and comparatively less viscous fuels among the other chosen biofuels; exhibits 6% improvement in brake thermal efficiency, 3% reduction in brake specific energy consumption, 7% increase in peak pressure, 20% reduction in CO2 emissions, 17% in HC and 20% decrement in smoke.