What is the National Green Hydrogen Mission?

Earlier this year, the Union government of India approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which is a comprehensive action plan to establish a green hydrogen ecosystem, while also helping create a systemic response to the opportunities and challenges in this section. The government has allocated Rs. 19,744 crore for the mission, including Rs. 17,490 crore for the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), programme, Rs. 1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs. 400 crore for R&D, and Rs. 388 crore towards other components.
The implementation of the respective components of the mission will be carried out by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. One of the key objectives of the mission is to make India a leading producer and supplier of green hydrogen in the world. If India is successful in becoming a global leader and hub for the production, usage and export of green hydrogen, it will help the country become more self-reliant, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and also lead to significant decarbonisation of the economy.
Currently, major sectors such as industrial production, transport, and manufacturing rely on imported fossil fuels. If the mission is implemented successfully, it will start a shift towards using renewable energy sources and reducing our dependence on other countries for fossil fuels. Additionally, the mission will attract investments and create significant employment opportunities.
The production capacity targeted by 2030 is likely to create over six lakh jobs in the country. Under the plan, the government has identified ten potential states that could be the key enablers in manufacturing green hydrogen in the country. These are Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. Under the SIGHT programme, the government will provide two financial incentive mechanisms, which will target the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and the production of green hydrogen.