New Delhi— India is steadily moving toward energy self-sufficiency, fueled by significant progress in renewable energy and green hydrogen development, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.
In a post on social media platform X, Puri acknowledged the uncertainty around when India’s oil demand will peak but stressed the nation’s strong push toward reducing its reliance on imports. He noted that India currently imports $150 billion worth of energy each year and suggested that a drop in global green hydrogen prices could spark a transformative shift in sustainable energy.
Puri credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for driving this energy revolution, calling it a force that will unlock India’s full potential in clean energy.
India has already taken major strides in green hydrogen, with the government allocating an annual production capacity of 862,000 tonnes to 19 companies. Additionally, 3,000 MW of annual electrolyzer manufacturing capacity has been awarded to 15 firms. Pilot projects are underway in the steel, mobility, and shipping sectors.
The country has also become one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets, with over 223 GW of installed capacity—108 GW from solar and 51 GW from wind.
To support this transition, the government launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2023 with an initial budget of $2.4 billion. The mission outlines a comprehensive strategy to stimulate demand across key sectors, offer production-linked incentives, and scale up domestic capacity. Its objectives include producing 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030, preventing 50 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, attracting $100 billion in investment, and generating more than 600,000 jobs.
Further strengthening the initiative, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi recently introduced India’s Green Hydrogen Certification scheme. This framework is designed to ensure transparency, traceability, and market credibility for green hydrogen production, marking an essential step in building a reliable and verifiable green energy ecosystem. (Source: IANS)
