India Awards Three Green Hydrogen Testing Projects, Fast-Tracks National Mission with Industry Standards

India's green hydrogen sector is maturing, as seen in the government's recent announcements. They've awarded three green hydrogen testing facility projects, and they're growing pilot programs in steel, transport, and shipping. They are also standardizing over 100 industry standards and protocols.

At the FICCI Green Hydrogen Summit 2025, Minister Shripad Yesso Naik spoke about the progress, the National Green Hydrogen Mission's push, and India's aim to grab 10% of worldwide green hydrogen demand.

These new testing places will make sure hydrogen is pure, safe, and performs as it should. This is very important for selling hydrogen abroad and growing local supply chains. These places will have pilot programs in areas that are hard to clean up, like steelmaking and shipping. This will help the industry learn and grow.

Certification is getting attention in India’s green hydrogen plans. Abhay Bakre, the National Green Hydrogen Mission Director, said that they've put in place a solid certification plan with rules for green hydrogen and other things made from it, like green ammonia and green methanol. By the end of the year, companies can get their projects certified through a special online portal. This will make things more clear and trustworthy in India and when selling overseas.

India has approved 23 hydrogen R&D projects and is looking at over 100 more. The goal is to set up multiple Centers of Excellence in green hydrogen tech. The government plans from 2023 include ₹19,744 crore to produce 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen each year by 2030 and build 125 gigawatts of new renewable capacity just for hydrogen production.

Industrial involvement is happening: 15 companies have gotten awards for 3,000 MW of electrolyser production capacity, and 19 companies have won contracts for 862,000 tons per year of green hydrogen production. The government wants to help Indian and international companies work together so costs stay low and India can be a green hydrogen export hub.

India’s “hydrogen valleys” plan will create four areas like this by 2030. These are areas where everything about hydrogen, from making it to using it, is close together. This will help reach the goal of 100 valleys around the world. They are funding and organizing things now, after planning for two years with different ministries and science partners.

To reach these goals, officials say we need ongoing regulatory updates, strong global trade standards, and new ways to fund things, like viability gap funding, green bonds, and help from multilateral development banks.

India, officials point out, isn't copying other countries. The country’s size, market needs, and renewable resources are the base for a unique hydrogen plan. This plan is set for global leadership and supported by standards, certification, and a good tech setup.