The machining industry commonly uses commercial mineral oil-based cutting fluids to improve machinability and productivity. However, these fluids have adverse effects on both the environment and operator health as they are non-biodegradable and hazardous. To address these issues, researchers are exploring the use of biodegradable vegetable oils as an alternative to mineral oils. In this study, a non-edible vegetable oil blend of 50% jatropha and 50% neem oil (JN-PCF) was formulated and used as a cutting fluid for turning mild steel with HSS tool bit. The effects of the blend on surface roughness (Ra) and tool flank wear (Vb) were investigated. Results obtained were compared with mineral oil (M-PCF) and neem oil (N-PCF) based cutting fluids. The experiments were carried out using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array experimental design plan. Taguchi analysis was performed using Minitab statistical software and SN values were calculated based on the smaller-is-better principle. ANOVA analysis was also performed to determine the contribution of each factor to the response variable study. The results revealed that the blend of neem and jatropha oils-based cutting fluid (JN-PCF) obtained lower surface roughness and minimal tool flank wear than the neem oil (N-PCF) and mineral oil-based cutting fluids (M-PCF).