A Rs 100-crore program has been introduced by the Union government to assist new businesses engaged in the production of green hydrogen.

According to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, the program will fund pilot projects in hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization technologies up to Rs 5 crore each.

Key Highlights

• Scheme offers up to ₹5 crore per project for pilot initiatives in hydrogen tech.
• 25 startups to showcase innovations like electrolysers, AI-optimisation and bio-hydrogen solutions.

25 startups are presenting innovations at a two-day conference, covering everything from the production of electrolysers to AI-driven optimization and biological hydrogen solutions.

The initiative, according to Joshi, aims to transform research into workable solutions that can power industries, clean cities, and generate thousands of jobs throughout India. He also emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of making India a global center for green hydrogen through the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), which was introduced in 2023.

The four pillars of NGHM, which has a total budget of Rs 19,744 crore, are demand creation, R&D and innovation, policy and regulatory framework, and enabling infrastructure.

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23 projects in fields like safety, hydrogen production from biomass, and hydrogen applications have already been awarded under the NGHM's dedicated R&D scheme. Leading IITs, IISERs, CSIR labs, and business partners are putting these into practice. Launched on July 14, the second round of R&D proposals will be available until September 15.

With more than 30 joint proposals on hydrogen production from wastewater, international cooperation is also expanding under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council.