From the Editorial Desk · IGHA – Hyvolution India 2026 – 17 August, 2026
India’s energy story is changing.
We can see it in the numbers, but more importantly, in the kinds of projects now being discussed and built across the country.
By the end of 2025, non-fossil sources accounted for 51.93% of India’s installed power capacity. IRENA also places India among the world’s leading countries in renewable energy capacity.
That is a significant achievement. But I believe the more interesting question is: what does India do with this renewable-energy advantage?
This is where green hydrogen comes in.
India still has a growing appetite for energy. Manufacturing is expanding, transport is changing and new industries are adding to electricity demand. At the same time, we cannot remain heavily exposed to imported fossil fuels.
So the opportunity is not simply to generate cleaner electricity.
It is to use that clean electricity to create new industrial value.
And hydrogen can play an important role here.
Why hydrogen matters to India
There are industries where simply replacing fossil fuel with electricity is not easy.
Fertilisers, refining, steel, shipping and heavy transport are some obvious examples.
Hydrogen offers another route.
It can be used directly, or converted into products such as green ammonia and green methanol. That makes it relevant not just from an environmental perspective but also from industrial and economic ones.
The National Green Hydrogen Mission, with its target of 5 million tonnes of annual production by 2030, has given India a clear direction.
But what interests me more is what is happening beyond the target.
Production capacity has started getting allocated. Electrolyser manufacturing is being developed in India. Green hydrogen hubs are being planned around ports. And SECI’s green ammonia procurement is beginning to create actual demand from the fertiliser industry.
These are signs of a market taking shape.
The fertiliser sector could be one of the first big success stories
This is an area I would watch very closely.
SECI has already facilitated procurement of around 7.24 lakh tonnes per year of green ammonia for fertiliser units.
Why is this important?
Because every large industrial project needs a customer.
A developer may have land, renewable power and technology. But if there is no clear buyer, financing a large project becomes difficult.
Long-term procurement gives developers something much more valuable than publicity—visibility.
It gives them a reason to invest.
And once these projects start operating, the benefits go beyond the individual plant. Equipment suppliers gain experience. EPC companies learn. Banks become more comfortable. Logistics providers develop new capabilities.
That is how an industry gets built.
Not through announcements alone, but through projects that actually work.
The next challenge is execution
This is probably the most important point.
India has done a lot of work on policy. The question now is whether the industry can execute at scale.
- Can electrolysers perform reliably?
- Can renewable power be supplied at the right price and with sufficient reliability?
- Can hydrogen be stored and transported safely?
- Can green ammonia reach fertiliser plants competitively?
- Can projects secure long-term offtake?
- Can Indian hydrogen meet international certification requirements?
These are practical questions. And over the next few years, the answers will matter much more than another ambitious target.
India’s first hydrogen-powered train, demonstrated on the Jind–Sonipat route in 2026, is another interesting example. Whether hydrogen trains eventually become widespread is something the market will decide.
But the fact that India is now building and operating hydrogen technology in real conditions is important in itself.
Experience cannot be bought. It has to be developed.
And then comes the global opportunity
India’s green hydrogen story should not stop at domestic consumption.
Our renewable-energy resources, engineering capabilities, industrial base and geographical position give us a reasonable foundation to think about exports as well.
But global buyers will ask difficult questions.
- Where did the electricity come from?
- How much carbon was emitted?
- Can the claims be independently verified?
- Does the product meet the buyer’s standards?
This is why India’s Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme is important. Certification may sound like a technical issue, but commercially it could determine whether Indian hydrogen can access premium international markets.
The same applies to ports.
With green hydrogen hubs being considered at Deendayal, V.O. Chidambaranar and Paradip ports, India is beginning to think about hydrogen not just as something produced and consumed locally, but as something that can become part of future international trade.
That is a much bigger opportunity.
Where IGHA – Hyvolution India 2026 Fits In
This is also why I believe IGHA – Hyvolution India 2026, taking place on 17–18 November 2026 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, is coming at the right time.
The industry has already had enough conversations about the potential of hydrogen.
Now we need conversations about how to make projects happen.
- Who has the technology?
- Who needs it?
- Where is investment available?
- Who has an offtake requirement?
- What infrastructure is needed?
- What standards will apply?
- Which partnerships can actually move a project forward?
These are the discussions that matter now.
And bringing policymakers, developers, manufacturers, technology companies, investors, EPC players and industrial users together can make a real difference.
For me, the success of a platform like IGHA-Hyvolution India should not be measured only by what happens on stage.
It should be measured by what happens after the meeting—the partnership that begins, the project that moves forward, the investment that gets discussed, or the problem that finally gets solved because two people were able to sit across the table.
India has made a start. Now we have to build.
India has the renewable resources.
It has a large industrial market.
It has policy support.
It is developing manufacturing capability.
And increasingly, it has projects and buyers.
What comes next will depend on execution.
If we can bring technology, finance, infrastructure and demand together, green hydrogen can become much more than another clean-energy initiative.
It can support energy security, domestic manufacturing, new jobs, industrial competitiveness and eventually India’s position in the global hydrogen market.
That, in my view, is the real opportunity.
The question is no longer whether India should build a green hydrogen economy.
The question is how quickly—and how well—we can build it.
And that is the conversation India needs to have now.
Sources:
MNRE Certification: https://mnre.gov.in/en/notice/green-hydrogen-certification-scheme-of-india/
Ministry of Power, India: https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/DAE0E308D4F64236FA8D2A0BC412B786A591B65F
MNRE Press Release 30th March 2026:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2247064&lang=1®=20
India Budget 2026:
https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/doc/eschapter/echap10.pdf
IRENA Renewable Energy Stats 2025: https://www.irena.org//Publications/2025/Jul/Renewable-energy-statistics-2025
Ministry of Finance, India, Press Release, 29th January 2026:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2219915&lang=1®=1
FAQs:
1. What is India’s green hydrogen target for 2030?
India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission targets 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production by 2030.
2. Why is green hydrogen important for India?
It can help decarbonise sectors where direct electrification is difficult, including fertilisers, refining, steel, heavy transport and shipping.
3. How much of India’s installed power capacity is non-fossil?
As of 31 December 2025, 51.93% of India’s installed generation capacity came from non-fossil sources.
4. Where does India rank globally in renewable energy?
According to IRENA’s 2025 statistics, India ranks fourth globally in total installed renewable energy capacity.
5. What is the role of green ammonia?
Green ammonia can replace fossil-based ammonia/feedstock in sectors such as fertilisers and can also become important for shipping and international hydrogen trade.
6. What is the National Green Hydrogen Mission?
Launched in January 2023, it is India’s central policy framework for developing a domestic green hydrogen ecosystem and positioning India as a producer, user and exporter.
7. Has India started developing hydrogen mobility?
Yes. India’s first hydrogen-powered train was flagged off on the Jind–Sonipat route in July 2026.
8. Why is hydrogen certification important?
Certification establishes whether hydrogen meets India’s green-hydrogen criteria and provides monitoring, verification and traceability—important for domestic credibility and international market access.
9. Why are ports important to India’s hydrogen strategy?
Ports can become production, storage, logistics and export hubs for hydrogen and derivatives such as green ammonia and methanol. India has identified three green hydrogen hubs at major ports.
10. How can IGHA – Hyvolution India 2026 support India’s hydrogen ecosystem?
It brings together policymakers, developers, technology providers, investors, manufacturers and other stakeholders through an exhibition, strategic and technical conferences and leadership discussions—creating opportunities for partnerships, investment and project development.