In this work, Al metal ions were doped on natural hydroxyapatite by wet chemical impregnation route. The hydroxyapatite was obtained from waste cooked fish bones after proper treatment. The developed catalyst was characterized. From BE analysis it was found that the surface area and pore volume has increased up to 157.96 m(2) g(-1) and 0.8062 mL g(-1) after Al doping followed by calcination. The FE-SEM micrographs showed the homogenous porous structure distribution on the surface of the Al doped catalyst. From TGA analysis, it was found that the catalyst was stable up to 1000 degrees C. A comparison of the developed catalyst with other catalysts reported in literature confirmed the superiority of this catalyst. Doping of Al ion and calcination played a significant role during transesterification of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil which was clearly envisaged. The kinetics of transesterification was thoroughly studied at optimal condition, which was found out using response surface methodology. The physical properties of the transesterified product were calculated by following the usual ASTM protocols. The catalyst reusability was also studied. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.