Nine Refuelling Stations, Ten Routes: India’s Hydrogen Highways Begin

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday (25 September) unveiled India’s first hydrogen highways, signaling a major push toward clean transport and reduced dependence on crude oil, reported The Times Of India.

Speaking virtually at the World Hydrogen India event hosted by S&P Global Commodity Insights, Gadkari said, "Hydrogen is the fuel of the future. We have now launched the world's first large-scale hydrogen truck trials. A budgetary allocation of Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned to five consortiums across ten routes, with 37 vehicles participating. Industry partners include Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC and Reliance".

"Nine hydrogen refuelling stations will be established to support these trials. These corridors will serve as India's first hydrogen highways, creating the ecosystem for clean, long-haul mobility," the minister added.

The trials will cover 10 key freight routes connecting industrial hubs, ports and major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.

Gadkari outlined a plan to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, projecting creation of around 6 lakh jobs and investment worth Rs 8 lakh crore.

He emphasised that the initiative could reduce India’s crude import bill—currently meeting 87 per cent of demand at a cost of Rs 22 lakh crore—by Rs 1 lakh crore per year, while cutting carbon emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050, a figure he compared to planting 1,000 crore trees.

"India will be a manufacturer, an innovator, and an exporter. We will convert agriculture into energy, secure our fuel supplies, create jobs, and cut emissions all at once. This is India's moment to lead in clean fuels,” he said.

Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant highlighted green hydrogen as vital to India’s $30 trillion economy vision by 2047, noting its role in decarbonising cement, aviation, shipping and heavy transport.

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