National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)
As India transitions towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070, reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a critical national priority.
Launched in 2023, the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) is an umbrella programme designed to establish a massive domestic green hydrogen ecosystem. The mission aims to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors (like steel and heavy transport), ensure long-term energy security, and position India as a global leader and export hub for clean hydrogen technologies.
The Official Definition of "Green" Hydrogen
Hydrogen is produced by splitting water through electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources (like solar or wind). However, the Government of India has notified a strict standard for what qualifies as “green.”
Under this standard, hydrogen is officially considered “green” only if the total emissions from its production process are very low: not more than 2 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (eq) for every 1 kg of Hydrogen produced. Hydrogen produced from converting agricultural biomass also qualifies as green, provided it strictly stays below this emission limit.
Key Targets for 2030
The mission has set highly ambitious, quantified targets to be achieved by the year 2030:
- Production Capacity: Reach an annual green hydrogen production capacity of 5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT).
- Renewable Energy Addition: Add about 125 GW of new renewable energy capacity specifically dedicated to green hydrogen production.
- Investment: Attract over ₹8 lakh crore in total investments.
- Employment: Create over 6 lakh jobs across the new value chain.
- Economic & Environmental Impact: Reduce fossil fuel imports by more than ₹1 lakh crore and avoid nearly 50 MMT of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
Financial Outlay and Core Components
The mission has an initial financial outlay of ₹19,744 crore (up to FY 2029-30). To achieve its goals, the government has launched several specific schemes:
1. Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme
This is the financial backbone of the mission, allocated ₹17,490 crore. It provides direct financial incentives (subsidies) to domestic industries for two main purposes:
- Manufacturing the electrolysers required to split water.
- Producing the actual green hydrogen, making it cost-competitive against polluting fossil fuels.
2. Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI)
Launched in April 2025, the GHCI provides a mandatory national framework to officially certify hydrogen as “green.”
- It assesses the greenhouse gas emissions across the entire production cycle to ensure transparency and credibility for export markets.
- Obtaining a ‘Final Certificate’ is mandatory for any facility receiving government subsidies or selling hydrogen domestically.
- The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) serves as the Nodal Authority for this certification.
3. Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP)
A dedicated framework to foster public-private partnerships in Research and Development (R&D). It brings together government institutions (like BARC, ISRO, CSIR, and IITs) with private industries to develop globally competitive, advanced hydrogen technologies domestically.
Infrastructure: Green Hydrogen Hubs
To streamline production and export, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recognized three major coastal gateways as official Green Hydrogen Hubs in October 2025:
- Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla, Gujarat)
- V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu)
- Paradip Port Authority (Odisha)
These hubs will serve as integrated mega-centers for large-scale production, domestic consumption, and international shipping of green hydrogen and its derivatives (like Green Ammonia).
Sectoral Implementation and Pilot Projects
The mission is actively funding pilot projects to test the practical application of green hydrogen across various industries:
- Heavy Industry (Steel and Fertilizers): Five pilot projects have been initiated to evaluate using green hydrogen for iron reduction in steelmaking. Additionally, the government is facilitating the procurement of Green Ammonia to replace fossil-fuel feedstocks in fertilizer plants.
- Road Mobility: Large-scale trials involving 37 hydrogen-powered buses and trucks have been launched across 10 different routes to test the viability of fuel cell and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles.
- High-Altitude Mobility: In late 2024, NTPC commissioned the world’s highest altitude Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh (3,650 meters), deploying hydrogen intra-city buses that run reliably in extreme, freezing conditions.
- Shipping: Major green hydrogen and Green Methanol bunkering facilities are being commissioned at V.O. Chidambaranar and Deendayal ports to establish a “Coastal Green Shipping Corridor.”
Enabling Framework and Global Partnerships
To completely de-risk private investments, the government has announced a waiver of Interstate transmission charges for renewable energy used in hydrogen production.
Furthermore, India is aggressively building strategic global partnerships to secure its place in the global export market. Notable collaborations include the EU-India Trade and Technology Council for joint research, partnerships with the UK for standardization, and an MoU with Germany’s H2Global to facilitate the export of Indian green hydrogen to international markets.
