Gadkari outlined India’s vision to achieve self-reliance in fuel and transform agriculture into an energy powerhouse.
File Photo: IANS
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the launch of India’s first hydrogen highways on Friday, the second day of the inaugural World Hydrogen India event.
Gadkari outlined India’s vision to achieve self-reliance in fuel and transform agriculture into an energy powerhouse.
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He highlighted the need for reducing dependence on crude imports, which is currently at 87 per cent of demand and is costing the nation nearly Rs 22 lakh crore every year.
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“Hydrogen is the fuel of the future. We have now launched the world’s first large-scale hydrogen truck trials. A budgetary allocation of Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned to five consortia across ten routes, with 37 vehicles participating.
”Industry partners include Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC, and Reliance. Nine hydrogen refuelling stations will be established to support these trials. These corridors will serve as India’s first hydrogen highways, creating the ecosystem for clean, long-haul mobility,” he said while virtually addressing a gathering of global industry leaders, policymakers, and energy experts.
For two years, the trials will run across key routes including Delhi, Greater Noida, Agra, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Puri, Surat, Vadodara, Sahibabad, Faridabad, Pune, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Kalinga, Thiruvananthapuram, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Visakhapatnam which will link industry clusters, ports, and freight corridors where hydrogen can make an immediate impact.
The minister said that the scope of the project extends beyond vehicles and covers the entire hydrogen value chain, compression, storage, transport, and refuelling infrastructure.
The country’s target is to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen every year by 2030.
This will generate 6 lakh jobs and attract Rs 8 lakh crore in investment, the minister said while highlighting the broader national ambition.
“This transition is expected to cut fossil fuel imports by Rs 1 lakh crore per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050, equivalent to planting over 1,000 crore trees,” he added.
The country will be a manufacturer, an innovator, and an exporter and will convert agriculture into energy, secure fuel supplies, create jobs, and cut emissions—all at once, he said.
During the event, Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, stressed that the country’s growth journey to becoming a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047 must be anchored in sustainability.
“Green hydrogen is not just an energy story; it is about jobs, exports, manufacturing, competitiveness, and climate leadership. If anything can decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like cement, shipping, aviation, and long-haul transport, only green hydrogen can. India is climatically blessed and uniquely placed to lead this global race,” Kant said, according to a news agency.
There must be government-to-government agreements, local electrolyser manufacturing, global marketing of India’s green hydrogen story, large-scale skilling initiatives, and world-class regulation to make India the global hub of hydrogen, Kant stressed.
The event was organised by S&P Global Commodity Insights.
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