Addressing the technological, commercial, and operational challenges of green hydrogen is essential to accelerate India’s clean energy transition, experts said during a panel discussion moderated by Hemant Mallya, Fellow, Industrial Sustainability, Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) at the Global Hydrogen & Renewable Energy Summit 2025, held on March 12–13, 2025, in Kochi, Kerala.
The panel brought together Siddharth Mayur, Founder & CEO, H2E Power; Alexander Hogeveen Rutter, Manager, Third Derivative; Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering & Head, Hyundai Hydrogen Hub, IIT Madras; G.V. Shankar, Strategy Advisor & Senior Consultant, Axiom Exploration Group Ltd.; and Makrand Lad, Vice President – High-Pressure Cylinder Business, Time Technoplast Limited.
The discussion focused on the evolving green hydrogen ecosystem, technological innovation, industry-academia collaboration, and strategies for creating commercially viable hydrogen applications across sectors.
Moving Beyond the Initial Green Hydrogen Momentum
The panel observed that while green hydrogen has generated tremendous interest worldwide, the focus is now shifting from ambitious announcements to solving real-world implementation challenges.
The speakers noted that sectors such as refineries and fertiliser manufacturing present immediate opportunities for green hydrogen adoption. However, integrating hydrogen into existing industrial infrastructure requires significant technological upgrades, commercial planning, and long-term investment.
The discussion highlighted that the next phase of India’s hydrogen journey must prioritise scalable business models alongside technological innovation.
Addressing Operational and Resource Challenges
One of the key concerns raised during the session was the availability of resources required for large-scale green hydrogen production.
The panel pointed out that electrolysis-based hydrogen production requires substantial quantities of water and renewable electricity, making resource optimisation an important consideration. Alternative production pathways, including ethanol-based hydrogen technologies, are also being explored to diversify production methods and improve sustainability.
The experts agreed that overcoming production constraints will be critical for reducing costs and accelerating commercial deployment.
Innovation Will Drive Commercial Viability
Technological innovation emerged as one of the central themes of the discussion.
The panel highlighted ongoing advancements in electrolyser technologies, particularly high-efficiency systems such as solid oxide electrolysers, which have the potential to significantly improve production efficiency while lowering operational costs.
Hydrogen storage also remains a key area for innovation. The speakers discussed the importance of developing lightweight, safer, and more efficient storage solutions that can support industrial applications as well as future mobility sectors.
Continuous research and technology development, they noted, will play a decisive role in making green hydrogen commercially competitive.
Industry and Academia Must Work Together
The panel strongly emphasised the need for closer collaboration between research institutions and industry.
Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran shared how IIT Madras is working with industry partners to translate laboratory research into commercially deployable hydrogen technologies through dedicated innovation hubs and applied research programmes.
The experts agreed that stronger industry-academia partnerships can accelerate technology development, reduce commercial risks, and help build indigenous hydrogen capabilities.
Hydrogen and Electrification Will Complement Each Other
Another important topic discussed was the relationship between electrification and hydrogen in India’s energy transition.
While electrification is expected to remain the preferred solution for several sectors, the panelists noted that hydrogen offers significant advantages in applications where battery-based systems may not be practical.
Heavy-duty transportation, industrial heating, chemicals, steel, fertilisers, and long-duration energy storage were identified as sectors where hydrogen could become a more efficient and scalable solution.
Rather than viewing hydrogen and electrification as competing technologies, the experts suggested they should be seen as complementary components of a diversified clean energy ecosystem.
Global Partnerships Can Accelerate Innovation
The discussion also highlighted the growing importance of international collaboration in advancing hydrogen technologies.
Alexander Hogeveen Rutter emphasised that Indian startups and technology companies can benefit significantly from partnerships with global innovation platforms, research organisations, and investors.
Such collaborations can strengthen research and development, facilitate technology transfer, improve access to global markets, and help Indian companies commercialise innovative hydrogen solutions at scale.
Building India’s Green Hydrogen Future
Concluding the session, the panel agreed that India’s green hydrogen ambitions will depend on addressing technological challenges while simultaneously creating sustainable commercial opportunities.
They stressed that innovation, supportive policies, industry participation, international cooperation, and stronger research ecosystems will collectively determine the pace of hydrogen adoption in the country.
As India continues to advance its clean energy transition, green hydrogen is expected to play an increasingly important role in decarbonising industries, strengthening energy security, and building a globally competitive low-carbon economy.