The Government has launched five pilot projects for hydrogen-fuelled buses and trucks under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had earlier issued guidelines for implementing pilot projects in the transport sector and invited proposals for hydrogen-based vehicles, routes, and refuelling stations. After rigorous evaluation, MNRE sanctioned five projects comprising 37 hydrogen-powered vehicles (15 fuel cell-based and 22 internal combustion engine-based) and nine hydrogen refuelling stations.
The pilot vehicles will be deployed across ten routes, including Greater Noida – Delhi – Agra, Bhubaneswar – Konark – Puri, Ahmedabad – Vadodara – Surat, Pune – Mumbai, and Jamnagar – Ahmedabad. The projects have been awarded to leading industry players such as TATA Motors, Reliance Industries, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL, with financial support of ₹208 crore from the Government of India. The pilots are expected to be commissioned in 18-24 months, driving large-scale adoption of hydrogen technology in India’s transport sector.
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The initiative aims to develop commercially viable hydrogen-powered transport solutions, establish supporting infrastructure, and assess the economic feasibility, safety, and operational efficiency of hydrogen-based vehicles. Launched on January 4, 2023, with a financial outlay of ₹19,744 crore up to FY 2029-30, the National Green Hydrogen Mission is a crucial step toward India’s clean energy transition, reducing reliance on fossil fuel imports, and positioning the country as a global leader in Green Hydrogen technology.
The Scheme Guidelines for the implementation of Pilot projects for use of Green Hydrogen in the Transport Sector under the NGHM can be accessed here –
