New Delhi, April 9:
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced a major milestone in India’s clean energy journey under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved five pilot projects aimed at deploying hydrogen-powered buses and trucks across key routes in the country.
Following a nationwide call for proposals involving hydrogen-based vehicles, routes, and refueling infrastructure, MoRTH has sanctioned projects that include 37 vehicles—15 hydrogen fuel cell-based and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-based—along with nine hydrogen refueling stations.
These vehicles will be tested across ten major routes, including:
• Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra
• Bhubaneswar–Konark–Puri
• Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat
• Sahibabad–Faridabad–Delhi
• Pune–Mumbai
• Jamshedpur–Kalinga Nagar
• Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi
• Kochi–Edappally
• Jamnagar–Ahmedabad
• NH-16 Visakhapatnam–Bayyavaram
Leading industry players such as TATA Motors Ltd, Reliance Industries Limited, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL have been awarded these projects. The Government of India will extend financial assistance of approximately Rs. 208 crore, with all projects slated for commissioning within 18 to 24 months.
Minister Gadkari highlighted the initiative’s broader goals: “These pilot projects aim to promote the development of commercially viable hydrogen-based transportation technologies and create essential infrastructure like hydrogen refueling stations.”
The program also aims to demonstrate the safety, efficiency, and performance of hydrogen-powered vehicles under real-world conditions while assessing their economic viability. The findings will help shape policies and pave the way for future large-scale adoption of hydrogen in the Indian transport sector.
This move reflects India’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and establishing itself as a global leader in green mobility solutions.
