Nitin Gadkari, India’s Road Transport Minister, announced hydrogen highways at the World Hydrogen India summit. He called hydrogen the fuel of the future. Moreover, this move will cut crude oil imports sharply. Currently, those imports meet 87% of demand. In fact, they drain Rs 22 lakh crore yearly.
Authorities allocated Rs 500 crore to five consortiums. For instance, these groups will conduct large-scale hydrogen truck trials. The trials span ten key routes. Partners such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC, and Reliance join in. Altogether, 37 vehicles will take part.
Teams plan to build nine refueling stations. Additionally, operations will run for two years. Routes connect Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and ports like Vishakhapatnam. As a result, this builds a complete ecosystem. It handles production, storage, and distribution for clean transport.
India targets 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. Therefore, the plan creates 6 lakh jobs. Furthermore, it attracts Rs 8 lakh crore in investments. This shift saves Rs 1 lakh crore on fuels each year. Plus, it reduces CO2 by 3.6 gigatons by 2050. That’s equivalent to planting 1,000 crore trees.
Gadkari declared, “India will manufacture, innovate, and export.” He emphasized, “We convert agriculture into energy.” Supplies get secured through this approach. Jobs emerge in abundance. Emissions drop significantly as well.
Amitabh Kant, ex-NITI Aayog CEO, fully agreed. He spotlighted green hydrogen’s potential for shipping and aviation. India enjoys cheap renewables. Strong policies bolster progress. An industrial base supports growth. In addition, domestic demand surges alongside exports to Japan and Europe. Kant called for global partnerships and local manufacturing.
Ultimately, this initiative drives India toward a sustainable USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. The nation now leads in clean fuels worldwide.
