(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India’s Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari unveiled the country’s first hydrogen highways on Wednesday, kicking off a major push toward clean energy during the World Hydrogen India summit in New Delhi. The event, hosted by S&P Global Commodity Insights, drew top global leaders, policymakers, and experts.
Speaking virtually to the crowd, Gadkari shared India’s bold plan to cut reliance on imported fuels and turn agriculture into a key energy source. Right now, India imports 87% of its crude oil needs, shelling out nearly Rs 22 lakh crore each year. “Hydrogen is the fuel of the future,” he declared, announcing the world’s first large-scale hydrogen truck trials.
The government has set aside Rs 500 crore for five consortiums to test the technology on ten routes with 37 vehicles. Big names like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC, and Reliance are teaming up for this. To make it work, nine hydrogen refueling stations will pop up along the way. These routes will become India’s pioneering hydrogen highways, paving the path for eco-friendly long-distance travel.
The two-year trials will cover busy stretches linking Greater Noida to Delhi and Agra; Bhubaneswar, Konark, and Puri; Vadodara and Surat; Sahibabad and Faridabad; Pune and Mumbai; Jamshedpur and Kalinga; Thiruvananthapuram; Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, and Kochi; plus Visakhapatnam. They connect industrial hubs, ports, and freight lines where hydrogen can make a real difference fast. Gadkari stressed that the project goes beyond trucks—it tackles the full hydrogen chain, from production and compression to storage, transport, and refueling.
Looking bigger picture, India aims to crank out 5 million tons of green hydrogen every year by 2030. This could create 6 lakh jobs, pull in Rs 8 lakh crore in investments, slash fossil fuel imports by Rs 1 lakh crore annually, and cut CO2 emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050—about the same as planting over 1,000 crore trees. “India will manufacture, innovate, and export,” Gadkari said. “We’ll turn farms into energy powerhouses, secure our supplies, boost jobs, and fight climate change. This is our chance to lead the world in clean fuels.”
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant added some economic firepower, noting that India’s drive to hit a $30 trillion economy by 2047 needs a green foundation. “Green hydrogen isn’t just about energy—it’s jobs, exports, manufacturing, competitiveness, and fighting climate change,” he said. He pointed out it could decarbonize tough industries like cement, shipping, aviation, and heavy trucking.
Kant highlighted India’s edge: the world’s cheapest renewable energy, smart government policies, a solid industrial setup, huge local demand, and export potential to places like Japan and Europe. To seize the lead, he urged government-to-government deals, homegrown electrolyzer production, global promotion of India’s green hydrogen story, massive training programs, and top-notch regulations to turn the country into a hydrogen powerhouse.
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