A process for the preparation of fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) from triglyceride oils selected from the group consisting of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oil, groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) oil, mustard (Brassica juncea) oil, palmolein ( Elaeis guineensis) oil, gingelly (sesame/til; Sesamum indicum) oil, ricebran (Oryza sativa) oil, cottonseed ( Gossypium arboretum) oil, corn ( Zea mays) oil, soyabean ( Glycine max) oil, castor ( Ricinus communis) oil, neem ( Azadirachta indica) oil, Jatropha ( Jatropha curcus) oil, karingatta ( Quassia indica) oil, marotti ( Hydnocarpus wightiana) oil, pungai ( Pongamia pinnata) oil, and pinnai ( Calophyllum inophyllum) oil using a solid base catalyst, the process comprising the steps of: (i) mixing alcohol and triglyceride oil in a molar ratio of alcohol: oil in the range of 1.5:1 to 30:1; (ii) adding a catalyst to the alcohol - oil mixture as obtained in step (i) in the range of 1 to 12 wt % with respect to the triglyceride oil, wherein the catalyst is a layered double hydroxide with the general formula [M 1-x M x 2] x+ [A x/m m-] x-. nH 2 O, wherein M is Ca 2+; M is Al 3+; and A is interlayer anions selected from the group consisting of CO 3 2-, Cl - and NO 3 -; and wherein the catalyst is calcined at a temperature of 700°C for 1 to 12 hours prior to being used in step (ii); (iii) heating the alcohol - oil mixture as obtained in step (ii) in an oil bath having temperature in the range of 30 to 100 °C for a period in the range of 1 to 24 hours to form a reaction mixture; (iv) filtering the reaction mixture as obtained in step (iii) to separate the catalyst from the reaction products and obtain a filtrate, the filtrate containing glycerol and fatty acid alkyl esters; and (v) separating glycerol from the filtrate as obtained in step (iv) to obtain the fatty acid alkyl esters, wherein acid value of triglyceride oil used in step (i) ranges from 0.5 to 31 mg KOH/g. (i) mixing alcohol and triglyceride oil in a molar ratio of alcohol: oil in the range of 1.5:1 to 30:1; (ii) adding a catalyst to the alcohol - oil mixture as obtained in step (i) in the range of 1 to 12 wt % with respect to the triglyceride oil, wherein the catalyst is a layered double hydroxide with the general formula [M 1-x M x 2] x+ [A x/m m-] x-. nH 2 O, wherein M is Ca 2+; M is Al 3+; and A is interlayer anions selected from the group consisting of CO 3 2-, Cl - and NO 3 -; and wherein the catalyst is calcined at a temperature of 700°C for 1 to 12 hours prior to being used in step (ii); M is Ca 2+; M is Al 3+; and A is interlayer anions selected from the group consisting of CO 3 2-, Cl - and NO 3 -; and wherein the catalyst is calcined at a temperature of 700°C for 1 to 12 hours prior to being used in step (ii); (iii) heating the alcohol - oil mixture as obtained in step (ii) in an oil bath having temperature in the range of 30 to 100 °C for a period in the range of 1 to 24 hours to form a reaction mixture; (iv) filtering the reaction mixture as obtained in step (iii) to separate the catalyst from the reaction products and obtain a filtrate, the filtrate containing glycerol and fatty acid alkyl esters; and (v) separating glycerol from the filtrate as obtained in step (iv) to obtain the fatty acid alkyl esters,