National Green Hydrogen Mission

The National Green Hydrogen Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2023 with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore, and is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). It operationalises the vision first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address of 15 August 2021 (the "National Hydrogen Mission"). "Green hydrogen" denotes hydrogen produced by the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity (solar, wind, hydro), as distinguished from "grey" hydrogen (from natural gas reforming) and "blue" hydrogen (grey hydrogen with carbon capture). The Mission is a central pillar of India's commitment, declared at COP26 in Glasgow (2021), to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and to meet its updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

The Mission sets a target of developing about 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with an associated addition of roughly 125 GW of renewable energy capacity, abatement of nearly 50 MMT of CO₂ emissions annually, and the avoidance of over ₹1 lakh crore in fossil-fuel imports. Its core financial instrument is the SIGHT programme (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition), which provides production-linked incentives under two distinct components — one for domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and another for the production of green hydrogen itself. Other components include pilot projects in steel, shipping and mobility, the designation of Green Hydrogen Hubs, a robust standards and regulatory framework, a Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme, and a dedicated Research & Development roadmap (the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership). MNRE notified the green hydrogen standard in August 2023, defining it by a well-to-gate emission threshold of not more than 2 kg CO₂ equivalent per kg of hydrogen.

By 2026 the Mission has progressed through SIGHT tranches awarding electrolyser-manufacturing and hydrogen-production capacity to firms such as Reliance, Adani, ACME, L&T and Greenko, alongside pilot schemes in the steel sector and for hydrogen-powered transport and shipping. India's competitive advantage rests on among the world's lowest solar tariffs, complementing the Green Energy Open Access Rules (2022) and the waiver of inter-state transmission charges for renewable power used in green hydrogen production. The Mission dovetails with the International Solar Alliance and India's broader ambition to decarbonise "hard-to-abate" sectors — refining, fertiliser (ammonia), steel and long-haul transport — where direct electrification is impractical.

For the UPSC examination this topic is high-yield across GS Paper III (energy, environmental conservation, infrastructure) and the Environment & Ecology component, and it informs GS Paper II through India's climate diplomacy. Prelims questions typically probe the implementing ministry (MNRE), the 2030 production target (5 MMT), the SIGHT components, and the colour-coded taxonomy of hydrogen. Mains answers should connect the Mission to net-zero-by-2070, energy security, import substitution and the just-transition debate, while noting challenges — high electrolyser costs, water requirements for electrolysis, storage and transport infrastructure, and dependence on imported critical materials. Candidates should distinguish it from the PM-KUSUM and PLI schemes and link it analytically to India's decarbonisation pathway.