National Green Hydrogen Mission

The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to make India a global hub for the production, utilisation and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using renewable energy, rather than through conventional fossil-fuel-based processes, enabling cleaner energy use and industrial production.

Core objective and national target

The Mission seeks to build a competitive green hydrogen industry in India, covering domestic production, demand creation, technology development and exports. Its purpose extends beyond producing a cleaner fuel: it also seeks to strengthen energy self-reliance and support economic decarbonisation.

• The Mission targets green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030.
• The Union Cabinet approved the Mission in 2023, with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is responsible for its overall coordination and implementation.

How the Mission pursues this objective

The Mission combines financial support for domestic supply with measures that encourage hydrogen use. This approach addresses the difficulty of establishing production capacity when demand, infrastructure and costs are still developing.

• The Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme provides incentives for domestic electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production.
• An electrolyser uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen; renewable electricity enables this route to produce green hydrogen.
• Pilot projects support the development of hydrogen applications in sectors such as steel, mobility and shipping.
• The Mission also supports hydrogen hubs, research and development, skill development, and standards and regulations.

Why the objective matters

Green hydrogen can help reduce fossil-fuel dependence in activities where direct use of renewable electricity is difficult. The Mission therefore complements renewable power expansion rather than replacing it.

• It can replace fossil-fuel-based hydrogen in industries such as fertiliser production and petroleum refining.
• It can support decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, including steel production.
• Domestic production can reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels while creating manufacturing, investment and employment opportunities.
• Exporting green hydrogen and derivatives, such as green ammonia, can position India within emerging clean-energy supply chains.