India Launches Green Hydrogen Vehicle Pilot Projects with ₹410 Crore Funding
The Government of India is implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) with the objective of making India a global hub for production, usage, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. Under this mission, 12 pilot projects have been awarded for the deployment of 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles comprising 27 buses and 43 trucks, including both Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) and Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H₂-ICE) vehicles, along with 16 Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) across 21 routes in different states.
The total financial assistance allocated for these projects is approximately ₹410.77 crores, out of which ₹41.582 crores has been released. The projects are structured in two phases with detailed consortium partnerships and route specifications.
Phase I Projects Details
Phase I includes five major projects with total viability gap funding of ₹207.91 crores. The NTPC consortium with bus manufacturers is deploying 6 hydrogen fuel cell buses on two routes: Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra (covering NCT of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh) and Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri (Odisha) with funding of ₹39.05 crores.
The Tata Motors and IOCL consortium received ₹70.02 crores for deployment across four routes: Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat (Gujarat), Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, NCT of Delhi), Pune-Mumbai (Maharashtra), and Jamshedpur-Kalinga Nagar (Jharkhand and Odisha). Their deployment includes 2 hydrogen fuel cell buses, 8 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (55T), 4 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (28T), and 2 hydrogen fuel cell trucks (55T).
ANERT and BPCL consortium received ₹34.84 crores for Kerala routes including Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi and Kochi-Edappally, deploying 2 hydrogen fuel cell trucks (28T) and 2 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (28T).
RIL and AL consortium received ₹46.87 crores for the Jamnagar-Ahmedabad route in Gujarat, deploying 1 hydrogen internal combustion engine bus (11m), 1 hydrogen fuel cell bus (13.5m), 3 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (19T), 3 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (28T), and 2 hydrogen fuel cell trucks (35T).
HPCL-Volvo consortium received ₹17.13 crores for NH-16 route from Visakhapatnam to Bayyavaram in Andhra Pradesh, deploying 1 hydrogen internal combustion engine truck (40T).
Phase II Projects Details
Phase II includes seven projects with total funding of ₹202.86 crores. NTPC-GEL consortium received ₹26.61 crores for Kandla-Gandhidham route in Gujarat, deploying 3 hydrogen fuel cell buses (9m).
NHPC received ₹1.77 crores for deployment in and around Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, with 1 hydrogen fuel cell bus (9m).
ANERT, KSRTC, and TML consortium received ₹51.54 crores for Kerala routes including Kochi-Kozhikode (NH 66) and Kochi-Thrissur-Palakkad, deploying 2 hydrogen fuel cell buses (12m) and 2 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (28T).
VECV and BPCL consortium received ₹5.91 crores for Bina-Guna-Bina route in Madhya Pradesh, deploying 1 hydrogen fuel cell bus (9m), 3 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (19T), and 2 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (40T).
WAAREE and Indify Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies consortium received ₹28.77 crores for Surat-Chikhli-Tumb route in Gujarat, deploying 2 hydrogen fuel cell buses (12m) and 1 hydrogen fuel cell truck (35T).
EKA Mobility, KPIT Technologies, BPCL, and Super Spares & Services consortium received ₹44.84 crores for three routes in Madhya Pradesh: Bina-Bhopal-Bina, Bina-Jhansi-Bina, and Bina-Sanchi-Stupa-Bina, deploying 3 hydrogen fuel cell buses (9m), 5 hydrogen fuel cell buses (12m), and 2 hydrogen fuel cell trucks (55T).
KPI GEL, TML, and AB Process Technologies consortium received ₹43.42 crores for routes in Gujarat and Maharashtra including Vadodara-Ankleshwar-Vadodara and Vapi-Nashik-Vapi, deploying 6 hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (55T).
Monitoring and Implementation Framework
A structured monitoring and feedback mechanism has been incorporated for all pilot projects in the road transport sector under NGHM. The executing agencies are required to regularly submit performance reports on hydrogen vehicle operations, including vehicle efficiency, fuel consumption, safety aspects, and utilization patterns. The learnings from these pilot projects will support the assessment of techno-economic viability of hydrogen-based mobility solutions and facilitate future policy interventions and deployment of green hydrogen vehicles in India.
This initiative was formally submitted by the Union Minister of State for Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.