The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited proposals from States and Union Territories for implementing the skilling, upskilling, and reskilling component under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), aimed at creating a trained workforce for the hydrogen value chain.

The NGHM was launched on January 4, 2023, with an outlay of ₹197.44 billion (~$2.25 billion), seeking to make India a global hub for green hydrogen production, usage, and export.

Proposals can be submitted by State Renewable Energy Departments, State Skill Development Missions, Industrial Training Institutes, National Skill Training Institutes, and other eligible institutions, either independently or jointly.

Submissions must include a workforce demand assessment, institutional readiness, identification of training centers for short-term training (STT), recognition of prior learning (RPL), training-of-trainers (ToT), and industry partnerships for on-the-job training and placement.

Eligibility and Selection Framework

Project implementing agencies (PIA) eligible to participate include government bodies, private firms, NGOs, and industry associations with a minimum of three years of existence and at least one year of experience in the hydrogen value chain.

Bidders must have a turnover of at least 25% of the project cost, a positive net worth for the last two years, and must not be blacklisted.

Selection will be based on technical expertise (30%), financial strength (20%), compliance (20%), innovation and technology (20%), and workforce commitment (10%).

For trainees under the RPL component, eligibility includes Indian nationals aged 18 to 50 years,work experience, and employer validation.

Scope and Components

The program covers four key interventions: short-term training, upskilling through RPL, establishment of Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and integration of a long-duration hydrogen curriculum into schools, ITIs, polytechnics, and higher education institutions.

The scope includes skill gap analysis, creation of a national skill registry, development of qualifications packs, training manuals, and digital learning content, and mechanisms for identifying and monitoring training partners. Industry participation is mandatory, particularly for on-the-job training and placement linkages.

Financial Framework and CoE Development

Training costs will follow PMKVY 4.0 norms, with payments to PIAs structured as 80% after result approval and 20% after certification and reporting. A total budget of ₹50 million (~$533,156) has been allocated for up to five Centers of Excellence (CoE), with a maximum funding of ₹10 million (~$106,631) per CoE covering 70% of project costs.

The funding will support equipment, infrastructure, and digital learning, while land and buildings are excluded. Each CoE will operate for five years, with a possible two-year extension, and is expected to train over 500 candidates annually and develop hydrogen labs, certified trainers, and industry partnerships.

Last August, MNRE issued revised program guidelines for implementing pilot projects using green hydrogen and its derivatives in the residential, commercial, and decentralized sectors, which were not mentioned in earlier programs.