India took a strengthening step toward building a credible, transparent green hydrogen economy in June 2026, when Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI). Developed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the digital platform is designed to facilitate transparent certification and regulatory compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India. A foundational requirement for a sector where verifiable green credentials determine market access, export viability and investor confidence.
The portal was unveiled during the National Workshop on “Strengthening the National Green Hydrogen Mission: Through State Policies, Hubs & Infrastructure,” organised by MNRE in New Delhi. By placing certification at the centre of the conversation, the government signalled that the integrity of India’s hydrogen claims is not only limited to the volume of production but will define the country’s standing in the emerging global hydrogen trade.
Why Certification Matters and Call to the States
Green hydrogen’s value rests entirely on foolproof policies. Hydrogen produced using renewable electricity must be distinguishable from hydrogen made with fossil fuels, and only a robust certification system can guarantee that distinction for buyers and regulators at home and abroad. The GHCI portal addresses this by digitising compliance, reducing ambiguity and creating an auditable trail for every certified unit of production. For Indian producers eyeing export markets in Europe and East Asia, where carbon-intensity thresholds are tightening, a sovereign certification framework removes dependence on foreign verification regimes and protects national commercial interests.
The regulatory architecture has been steadily streamlined in recent months, with the launch of the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme accompanied by the finalisation of standards for Green Ammonia and Green Methanol, the two derivatives most likely to anchor India’s hydrogen exports.
Addressing the citizens, Shri Joshi urged states to participate actively in advancing the National Green Hydrogen Mission, framing them as indispensable partners rather than passive beneficiaries. He noted that six states have already notified dedicated Green Hydrogen Policies, while seven others have integrated hydrogen into their existing industrial and renewable energy policy frameworks. A further four states are in the process of finalising their policies.
This momentum at the sub-national level matters because land, water, renewable power and port access with the physical prerequisites of hydrogen hubs are state-controlled levers. The appeal also reflects a federal vision in which national targets are met through coordinated state-level execution.
Building Domestic Manufacturing Infrastructure
A recurring theme in Joshi’s address was self-reliance. Highlighting efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing, he stated that financial incentives have been awarded to 15 companies to establish 3,000 MW per annum of indigenous electrolyser manufacturing capacity. Electrolysers are the core technology of green hydrogen production, and India’s deliberate push to build them at home is aimed squarely at reducing dependence on imported supply chains, a vulnerability that has constrained other clean energy sectors.
By localising this critical equipment, India insulates its hydrogen ambitions from external price shocks and geopolitical supply disruptions, while seeding a domestic industrial base capable of serving future demand.
Refineries, Steel and the Industrial Backbone
The Minister set out concrete evidence that demand is being engineered alongside supply. In the refinery sector, contracts have been awarded for the supply of 30,000 MTPA of green hydrogen to public-sector majors IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and NRL, anchoring early demand in enterprises with the scale to absorb it.
Decarbonising heavy industry featured prominently. Shri Joshi highlighted that Rs 84 crore has been sanctioned for pilot projects testing 100 per cent hydrogen injection in the steel sector, one of the most emissions-intensive industries and among the hardest to abate. Success in these pilots could open a pathway to cleaner steel production at an industrial scale.
Clean Mobility and Testing Infrastructure
On clean mobility, the Minister stated that nearly Rs 208 crore has been allocated to support 37 hydrogen-fuelled vehicles and 9 strategic refuelling stations, an early but deliberate effort to establish the chicken-and-egg infrastructure that hydrogen transport requires. This is complemented by an investment of Rs 193.35 crore across seven national testing facilities, ensuring that vehicles, components and fuelling systems meet rigorous safety and performance standards before wider deployment.
Innovation, Standards and Startups
The government’s focus is on innovation, noting that a dedicated R&D roadmap worth Rs 113 crore is supporting 21 approved projects spanning the hydrogen value chain. Research investment of this kind is intended to keep India at the technological frontier rather than merely importing mature solutions.
In a significant boost for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Minister announced that the Green Hydrogen Mission has allocated Rs 100 crore to support startups working on green hydrogen technologies. The first list of nine startups is being approved with total funding of Rs 22 crore, a clear signal that the government intends to nurture homegrown innovation alongside established industrial players.
Fertilisers and the Green Ammonia Milestone
One of the most consequential announcements concerned fertilisers. Shri Joshi noted that agreements have been signed for the supply of 6.7 lakh MTPA of Green Ammonia to 11 fertiliser plants. India is among the world’s largest fertiliser consumers and a major importer of ammonia, so substituting green ammonia into this supply chain directly reduces import dependence while cutting emissions from one of the economy’s most fossil-dependent sectors. The Minister framed this as a significant step toward energy and industrial sovereignty.
Placing these achievements in context, Shri Joshi noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past 12 years, India has undertaken one of the world’s fastest and most ambitious clean energy transitions with a transformation further strengthened by the National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore.
This Mission aims to establish 5 MMT of green hydrogen production capacity, supported by 125 GW of dedicated renewable energy capacity, catalysing investments exceeding Rs 8 lakh crore, creating over 6 lakh jobs, and reducing annual carbon emissions by 50 million tonnes.
Progressive Green hydrogen is already measurable as compared to previous years. Under the SIGHT programme, incentives have been awarded for 8,62,000 MTPA of green hydrogen production capacity. The Minister also welcomed the strong industry response, citing JSW’s successful commissioning of a 3,600 MTPA green hydrogen production plant in November 2025, proof that policy intent is translating into operational reality.
Held as part of the celebrations marking 12 Years of Decisive Achievement of the Government of India, the development captures a sector moving from aspiration to execution. The launch of the GHCI portal binds these disparate threads, having manufacturing, refineries, mobility, fertilisers and startups into a single framework anchored by transparency and trust. As India positions itself among the front-runners of the global energy transition, the message from New Delhi was unambiguous: the country intends to lead the green hydrogen economy on its own terms, with verified credentials and self-reliant foundations.
