As India eyes a leadership role in the global green energy transition, the government is ramping up its call for investments in the green hydrogen ecosystem. Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy, Shripad Yesso Naik has urged both domestic players and international stakeholders to deepen their involvement in India’s green hydrogen ambitions, particularly in research, infrastructure and innovation.

Speaking at the inaugural CII International Business Conclave on Green Hydrogen, the minister positioned green hydrogen not merely as an alternative fuel but as a strategic imperative for India’s energy security and industrial competitiveness.

"Green Hydrogen is not just a fuel, it is a commitment to our planet, our future generations and to sustainable prosperity," Naik said, encouraging Indian industry to invest in R&D, manufacturing, infrastructure and skill-building. He extended an open invitation to global companies, governments and financiers to collaborate on innovation, certification and trade frameworks.

India’s vision to become a global hub for green hydrogen hinges on an integrated approach that spans production, domestic consumption and international partnerships. The minister noted that India’s diverse industrial clusters and robust MSME network offer a natural springboard for decentralised hydrogen applications. "Distributed models will unlock local demand and drive bottom-up growth," he said.

The government is also working to establish Green Hydrogen corridors across key regions. Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme, tenders have already been floated for the procurement of 42,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually for refineries and over 720,000 metric tonnes of green ammonia for fertiliser production.

International cooperation is a central pillar of India’s green hydrogen roadmap. The country is working with the EU, Japan, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands to forge off take agreements, certification systems and infrastructure sharing for storage and transport.

Backing the minister's remarks, New & Renewable Energy Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi emphasised the ministry’s work across four key areas: regulation, incentives, standardisation and collaborative engagement with industry stakeholders. He also acknowledged ongoing discussions with the private sector to finalise a formal definition of green hydrogen, a key step toward establishing regulatory clarity.

Industry leaders at the conclave echoed the government's sentiments, while also flagging the challenges ahead. Sumant Sinha, Chairman of ReNew, underlined the urgency of replacing India’s 6 million tonnes of grey hydrogen consumption with green hydrogen. To hit net-zero targets by 2070, India would need to scale up to 40 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually, he said.

However, cost remains a significant barrier. Green hydrogen currently costs around USD 4.5 per kg which is nearly nine times the price of grey hydrogen, which is available for just USD 0.50 per kg. Sinha called for targeted subsidies and policy interventions to help close the cost gap and enable faster market adoption.

He also flagged structural bottlenecks such as high GST rates, the absence of long-term contracts and a lack of predictable demand — all of which, he noted, must be addressed to make green hydrogen commercially viable.

With the right mix of policy support, international cooperation and domestic innovation, India’s green hydrogen ambitions could not only reduce carbon intensity across sectors but also position the country as a leading exporter in the years ahead.

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MoS Naik urges industry, global firms to invest in Green Hydrogen sector