India is on a mission to create half a million jobs and slash its reliance on fossil fuel imports. But it still has some hurdles to clear

But can the country overcome the economic and technical hurdles standing in its way?

“We want to make India not only a major producer but also a global hub for green hydrogen export,” declared Shripad Naik, minister of state for power and new and renewable energy, at a business conference in New Delhi last week.

Under its National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in 2023, India aims to capture 10 per cent of the world market and produce 5 million tonnes of the fuel annually by 2030.

The programme also envisages nearly US$92 billion in investment, the creation of half a million jobs and a reduction of US$11 billion in fossil fuel imports – plus a cut of 50 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.