India's Green Hydrogen Ambitions: A Pathway to Net-Zero
New Delhi, Thursday, 19 June 2025.
India is charging towards its net-zero goals by integrating green hydrogen in hard-to-abate industries. This strategy offers economic boosts and global leadership in sustainable energy.
Targeting Energy Independence by 2047
In a novel approach, India aims to significantly reduce its reliance on energy imports by 2047, leveraging the strategic use of green hydrogen to bolster its journey towards energy independence and net-zero emissions[5].
Green Hydrogen Production Goals
With ambitious plans, the Indian government has set a target to produce 5 million metric tons (MMT) of green hydrogen by 2030, a goal underpinned by the National Green Hydrogen Mission. While announced production capacity already exceeds this target by over 2.5 times, the actual commissioned capacity remains below 0.01 MMT, revealing challenges in scaling up[1].
Challenges and Implementation Gaps
India’s green hydrogen journey is not devoid of hurdles. High production costs, insufficient infrastructure, and access to affordable capital are significant barriers. These challenges create a gap between India’s aspirational goals and actual execution, risking the momentum needed to transform announced projects into reality[1][4].
Economic Opportunities and Strategic Initiatives
The path to establishing a sustainable green hydrogen ecosystem offers significant economic opportunities for India. Strategies like blending green hydrogen into existing fuel processes and exporting green hydrogen-derived products could unlock up to 5 MMT of demand by 2030. This aligns with broadened global market competitiveness and economic growth prospects[1][4].
Global Collaboration and Investment
A call for global and industry investment has been made, emphasizing the need for cooperative efforts to bolster India’s green hydrogen infrastructure for a sustainable future. This includes initiatives to create robust offtake mechanisms and support instruments such as viability gap funding[2][5].
Leadership in the Energy Transition
With its intent to lead in the green hydrogen sphere, India stands at a seminal position in the global energy transition. The focus now is on accelerated execution, which includes aligning government efforts with industry and capital resources to materialize goals set forth in strategies like the National Green Hydrogen Mission[3].