Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced a ₹1 billion (~$11.3 million) call for proposals for pilot projects to develop technologies for producing green hydrogen from biomass and waste materials.

Speaking at the third International Conference on Green Hydrogen, Joshi stated that startups had already received ₹1 billion (~$11.3 million) under the National Green Hydrogen Mission program.

He added that the initiative will be implemented through the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to encourage participation from industries, startups, and research institutions.

The Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2023 to facilitate demand creation, production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen with an initial outlay of ₹197.44 billion (~$2.3 billion). The largest portion of the funding, ₹174.9 billion (~$2.1 billion), is earmarked for the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) program.

The Minister said incentives for 3,000 MW per annum of domestic electrolyzer manufacturing and 862,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) of green hydrogen production have been awarded under SIGHT. He stated that India has the lowest green ammonia price in the world, at ₹49.75 (~$0.56)/kg for 724,000 MTPA production.

Joshi also said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invested ₹1.32 billion (~$15 million) in five pilot projects for green steel, ₹2.08 billion (~$23.47 million) in 37 hydrogen-fuelled vehicles and nine refuelling stations, and ₹350 million (~$4 million) for the country’s first hydrogen bunkering and refuelling facility at V.O. Chidambaranar Port.

In July 2024, the MNRE issued guidelines for disbursing incentives for up to 450,000 TPA of green hydrogen production under Component II of the SIGHT program. The SIGHT program is a key component of the ₹130.5 billion (~$1.57 billion) National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to catalyze the growth of the green hydrogen economy in India from fiscal year 2025-26 through 2029-30.

Component I focuses on providing electrolyzer manufacturing incentives, with a financial outlay of ₹44.4 billion (~$541.2 million). Component II aims to support green hydrogen production.