Nitin Gadkari announces launch of world’s first hydrogen highways

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced the launch of India’s first hydrogen highways, calling it a landmark step toward clean mobility, reduced crude oil dependence, and long-term energy security.

Speaking at an S&P Global Commodity Insights event, Gadkari described hydrogen as “the fuel of the future” and revealed that large-scale truck trials have begun across 10 key freight corridors connecting industrial hubs, ports, and major cities. These cities would include Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.

To support this initiative, the government has allocated Rs 500 crore to five industry consortiums. Together, they will deploy 37 heavy vehicles and set up nine hydrogen refuelling stations. The project brings together major industry partners such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC, and Reliance.

“These corridors will serve as India’s first hydrogen highways, laying the foundation for clean long-haul mobility,” Gadkari said, adding that the trials mark the world’s first large-scale hydrogen truck initiative.

Looking ahead, Gadkari highlighted India’s plan to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. The move is expected to create six lakh jobs, attract investments worth ₹8 lakh crore, and cut the country’s crude import bill by ₹1 lakh crore every year. It would also reduce carbon emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050, a benefit comparable to planting 1,000 crore trees.

“India will be a manufacturer, innovator, and exporter. We will convert agriculture into energy, secure our fuel supplies, create jobs, and cut emissions all at once. This is India’s moment to lead in clean fuels,” Gadkari emphasized.

Adding perspective, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant called green hydrogen central to India’s aspiration of becoming a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. He stressed that it is “not just an energy story, but one about jobs, exports, manufacturing, competitiveness, and climate leadership”. Only green hydrogen, he added, can decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like cement, shipping, aviation, and long-haul transport.