Depletion of fossil fuels and its enormous exhaust emission with conventional engines are the major concerns in the current auto industry. Therefore, there is a need to curtail the exhaust emission with lower specific fuel consumption, which gives a great accomplishment in improvisation of IC engines. After-treatment technologies of an IC engine bring in better control over the exhaust emissions but it obtains poor performance by back pressure. Moreover, integration of various after-treatment techniques bring out additional operating condition control and maintenance cost. However, in-cylinder emission control strategies like advanced combustion mode engines owned a greater significance in acquiring exceptional performance and emission characteristics. Among the advanced combustion mode engines, homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine has the capability to meet future emission norms with enhanced performance. Moreover, it has great ability to run with distinct physicochemical characteristics biofuel by its homogeneous charge preparation techniques. Therefore, improvisation of biofuel powered HCCI engine secures a great potentiality in current auto industry. Accordingly, efforts are required to enhance the characteristic features by optimizing the engine parameters with respect to various biofuels like biodiesel, alcohol, alkane, and ether. The current review article deliberates the insight view on biofuel powered HCCI engine with its homogeneous charge preparation techniques, which critically reviewed their characteristic features. Moreover, an interpretive investigation on HCCI engine with other advanced combustion mode engines disclosed their greater significance and potential outcomes. Besides, the predicaments in the paradigm shift of conventional to HCCI engine is discussed with probable solutions for future enhancements. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd