en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has approved 12 hydrogen mobility pilot projects, covering 21 key routes, 70 hydrogen vehicles, and 16 hydrogen refueling stations. The projects are being implemented under the National Green Hydrogen Mission framework, aiming to make India a global hub for the production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. In a written reply submitted to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State Shripad Yesso Naik stated that the total financial support for the projects amounts to approximately INR 4.1077 billion, of which INR 415.82 million has been disbursed to initiate operations.
The initial fleet includes 27 hydrogen buses and 43 hydrogen trucks, adopting two technology pathways—hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen internal combustion engines (H₂-ICE)—to test different technical solutions. The pilot projects are being implemented in two phases by consortia comprising public sector undertakings and large private automotive companies, with a viability gap funding of INR 2.0791 billion for the first phase.
Phase I projects include: NTPC operating fuel cell buses manufactured by Ashok Leyland on the Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra and Bhubaneswar–Konark–Puri routes; Tata Motors, in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation Limited, operating hydrogen buses and heavy-duty trucks on freight corridors including Pune–Mumbai, Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat, and Jamshedpur–Kalinganagar; Reliance Industries Limited and Ashok Leyland responsible for the Jamnagar–Ahmedabad section; and the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) with BPCL in Kerala, as well as HPCL with Volvo in Andhra Pradesh, undertaking logistics deployment.
Phase II adds viability gap funding of INR 2.0286 billion, expanding the hydrogen mobility network to more regions. Specific projects include: NTPC-GEL operating fuel cell buses on the Kandla–Gandhidham route in Gujarat; NHPC deploying one local bus in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh; VECV, in collaboration with BPCL, operating bus and truck routes around Bina and Guna in Madhya Pradesh; ANERT partnering with KSRTC and Tata Motors in Kerala; a consortium led by Waaree Energy operating in Gujarat; EKA Mobility and KPIT Technologies operating in Madhya Pradesh; and KPI GEL operating heavy hydrogen trucks between Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The projects are supported by a structured monitoring and performance feedback mechanism. Implementing agencies submit periodic performance reports covering operational efficiency, fuel consumption, safety parameters, and overall utilization patterns. The data collected will be used to assess the techno-economic viability of hydrogen mobility, providing a basis for subsequent larger-scale commercial deployment and policy framework development.
