IIT Bombay has allied with HSBC India in the furtherance of developing green hydrogen technologies. A result of this collaboration saw many innovative project proposals that were submitted by six IITs, the National Institute of Technology, and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research. After a rigorous examination by a Steering Committee comprising of industry experts and senior academic members, six projects were selected for incubation at IIT Bombay. These projects, by researchers and students, target critical challenges in green hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization. The key initiatives include indigenous hydrogen storage systems that reduce carbon emissions in commercial vehicles, cost-effective hydrogen generators, and alternative combustion burners that improve air quality in major Indian cities.
The selected projects will be incubated at IIT Bombay’s incubation centre, where they will be nurtured for commercial readiness. The programme is designed to refine these innovations, scale them up, and make them commercially viable by the end of the incubation period.
Hitendra Dave, CEO of HSBC India, commented, "We believe that Green hydrogen is a necessary lever to achieve a low carbon economy. Our partnership with IIT Bombay reflects this belief and is also in line with our global commitment to sustainability. It is overwhelming to see the great response to this programme and the innovative ideas that we have received. We look forward to working with IIT Bombay to nurture these six innovations to make Green Hydrogen a cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable proposition.”
Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, said, "IIT Bombay is honoured to join forces with HSBC India in a transformative endeavour to drive India toward energy independence by setting up a thriving green hydrogen economy. This collaboration underscores our firm commitment to supporting the Indian government’s visionary National Green Hydrogen Mission which positions green hydrogen not just as a sustainable fuel, but as a cornerstone of the country's future energy landscape. By driving groundbreaking research with wide-ranging applications from transportation to industrial energy this partnership is set to catalyze a cleaner, self-reliant India, and elevate our role as a leader in the global green energy movement.”
This initiative aligns with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to develop green hydrogen production capacity and make it a key alternative fuel across industries. The mission envisions producing at least 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, contributing significantly to India’s renewable energy capacity and its net-zero emissions target.
The six shortlisted projects are focused on driving innovations in hydrogen production, storage, and usage with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and reduction in carbon emissions. One of them deals with the use of earth-abundant materials for making hydrogen production cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The other project focuses on the development of a hydrogen generator that has an impressive energy efficiency of over 80% along with a reduction in the production cost by 30%. In addition, a locally developed, multi-stack alkaline electrolyser is being developed to serve the purpose of cost-efficient green hydrogen production. Indigenous storage systems for hydrogen are also underway to support hydrogen-fueled transportation, which will significantly reduce commercial transport carbon emissions. Another idea is to replace the classic combustion process with an alternate burner design, improving the air quality and reducing carbon footprint. The last project involves the designing of a device that safely mixes hydrogen with natural gas, ensuring safe and efficient transport of hydrogen across various sectors.
