India’s green hydrogen ambitions are beginning to translate into a business pipeline spanning electrolyser manufacturing, hydrogen production, green ammonia, refinery supplies and exports, with more than 50 companies vying for a share of the emerging market, according to industry sources.
The government has awarded 15 companies 3 GW a year of electrolyser manufacturing capacity and incentivised green hydrogen production through the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Separately, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has discovered prices for supplying 7.24 lakh tonnes a year of green ammonia to 13 fertiliser plants, creating an assured demand pipeline for developers.
Approved in January 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to position India as a global hub for producing, using, and exporting green hydrogen and its derivatives. It targets annual production of at least 5 million tonnes by 2030.
Electrolyser manufacturing
The government has awarded 3,000 MW (3 GW) a year of electrolyser manufacturing capacity in two tranches under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme.
The first tranche of 1,500 MW comprised Reliance Industries/Reliance Electrolyser Manufacturing (300 MW), Ohmium Operations (137 MW), John Cockerill Greenko Hydrogen Solutions (300 MW), Advait Infratech (100 MW), L&T Electrolysers (300 MW), Matrix Gas and Renewables (63 MW), homiHydrogen (101.5 MW), and Adani New Industries (198.5 MW).
The second tranche added another 1,500 MW, with awards to companies including Advait Infratech, Matrix Gas and Renewables, NewAge Green Electro, Waaree Clean Energy Solutions, Adani New Industries, Ohmium, GH2 Solar, Avaada Electrolyser, Eastern Electrolyser, Newtrace, and Suryaashish KA1 Solar Park.
The technologies span alkaline, proton-exchange membrane (PEM) and solid-oxide electrolysis. The awards are intended to establish a domestic electrolyser manufacturing base, with project commissioning schedules extending through 2026-27. The government has earmarked ₹4,440 crore for electrolyser manufacturing incentives under SIGHT, alongside support for domestic green hydrogen production.
Export orders begin to emerge
The export opportunity is beginning to take shape through long-term offtake agreements, particularly with buyers in Europe and Japan.
Hyderabad-based AM Green has won a German government-backed H2Global auction to supply renewable ammonia worth at least €585 million over 10 years, with first deliveries expected in 2029. The company has also signed an agreement with German energy major Uniper for offtake of up to 500,000 tonnes a year of renewable ammonia, with shipments expected as early as 2028.
ACME Group has secured long-term offtake agreements with Japan’s IHI Corporation for 405,000 tonnes a year of green ammonia and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical for approximately 100,000 tonnes a year of green methanol. L&T Energy GreenTech has signed a take-or-pay agreement with Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation for 300,000 tonnes a year of green ammonia from its proposed facility at Kandla in Gujarat.
These agreements provide developers with greater visibility on demand and revenues, helping move projects beyond announcements towards financing and construction.
The government has also awarded refinery-linked green hydrogen projects involving Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, and Numaligarh Refinery. Pilot initiatives are being pursued in steel, hydrogen-powered mobility and port infrastructure, including green-methanol bunkering.
Production incentives
On the production side, the government has awarded green hydrogen capacity under SIGHT to companies across two tranches, creating a pipeline of more than 7.5 -8.5 lakh tonnes a year.
The first tranche covered approximately 3.06 lakh tonnes a year. The awardees included CESC Projects (10,500 tonnes per annum), UPL (10,000 TPA), Reliance Green Hydrogen and Green Chemicals (90,000 TPA), HHP Two (10,000 TPA), ACME Cleantech (90,000 TPA), Greenko ZeroC (90,000 TPA), JSW Neo Energy (3,600 TPA) and Bharat Petroleum (2,000 TPA).
The second tranche added 4.5 lakh TPA, with AM Green, L&T Energy GreenTech, Green Infra Renewable Energy Farms and Waaree Clean Energy Solutions each receiving allocations of 90,000 TPA. Reliance received an additional 49,000 TPA, while Suryadeep KA1, GH2 Solar, Oriana Power and Matrix Gas and Renewables also secured awards.
SECI has separately conducted competitive bidding for 7.24 lakh tonnes a year of green ammonia for 13 fertiliser units. The 10-year supply contracts are intended to create demand visibility for developers and support investment in production facilities.
While the government-backed awards and emerging export contracts have brought a growing roster of companies into the sector, the next test will be translating capacity allocations into commissioned plants and actual deliveries. The pace of project execution, access to competitive renewable power and the ability to meet international certification requirements will determine how much of India’s green hydrogen potential becomes a commercially viable export business.