India Unveils Major Program to Boost Green Hydrogen Startups

As Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi opened the first Annual Green Hydrogen R&D Conference in New Delhi on Thursday, the Indian government announced a Rs 100-crore program to assist companies developing green hydrogen technologies.

The program, which was unveiled at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's (MNRE) two-day conference, would award subsidies of up to Rs 5 crore per project to entrepreneurs testing solutions for the generation, storage, transportation, and use of hydrogen. From the production of electrolysers to AI-driven optimization and biological hydrogen solutions, 25 startups are exhibiting their technology.

In addition to exchanging ideas, Joshi emphasized that the conference's goal was to transform research into workable solutions that could power companies, clean cities, and generate thousands of new jobs throughout India.

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Using four pillars—policy support, demand generation, research and development, and enabling infrastructure, he linked the statement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), which was established in 2023 with an investment of Rs 19,744 crore.

In his overview of the mission's progress, the minister mentioned that 23 projects addressing safety and integration, biomass-based hydrogen production, hydrogen applications, and non-biomass routes had been awarded in the first round of R&D proposals. They are being continued by top research institutions including IITs, IISERs, CSIR labs, and business partners. Announced in July, a second request for proposals is still open through September 15.