Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, announced the launch of India’s first hydrogen highways during Day 2 of the inaugural World Hydrogen India, organized by S&P Global Commodity Insights.
Virtually addressing global industry leaders, policymakers, and energy experts, Gadkari shared India’s vision of achieving fuel self-reliance and transforming agriculture into an energy hub. Stressing the need to cut dependence on crude oil imports—currently meeting 87% of demand and costing nearly ₹22 lakh crore annually—he said:
“It is the fuel of the future. We have now launched the world’s first large-scale hydrogen truck trials. A budgetary allocation of ₹500 crore has been sanctioned to five consortiums across ten routes, involving 37 vehicles. 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 become India’s first hydrogen highways, building the ecosystem for clean, long-haul mobility,” he added.
The two-year trials will span major routes covering Greater Noida, Delhi, Agra, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Puri, Vadodara, Surat, Sahibabad, Faridabad, Pune, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Kalinga, Thiruvananthapuram, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Visakhapatnam. These routes will connect industry clusters, ports, and freight corridors where hydrogen adoption can have an immediate impact. Gadkari emphasized that the project covers not only vehicles but also the entire hydrogen value chain, including compression, storage, transportation, and refuelling infrastructure.
Highlighting India’s larger ambition, Nitin Gadkari said the country aims to produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, creating 6 lakh jobs and attracting ₹8 lakh crore in investment. This transition is expected to reduce fossil fuel imports by ₹1 lakh crore annually and cut CO2 emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050—equivalent to planting over 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 simultaneously. This is India’s opportunity to lead in clean fuels,” he concluded.
Adding a broader perspective, Amitabh Kant, Former CEO of NITI Aayog, said that India’s aspiration to become a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047 must be anchored in sustainability.
“Green hydrogen is not just about energy—it is about jobs, exports, manufacturing, competitiveness, and climate leadership. If there is one solution to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like cement, shipping, aviation, and long-haul transport, it is green hydrogen. India is climatically blessed and uniquely positioned to lead this global transition,” Kant noted.
Nitin Gadkari outlined India’s five key advantages: the world’s lowest renewable energy costs, strong policy backing, a robust industrial base, a vast domestic market, and significant export potential to regions such as Japan and Europe.
Kant further stressed the need for government-to-government agreements, local electrolyser manufacturing, global marketing of India’s green hydrogen potential, large-scale skill development, and world-class regulation to position the country as the global hub.
