India has officially entered the hydrogen era, with a target of producing 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen annually by 2030, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday, reports Hans India.
The move has already helped bring the cost of green hydrogen down from $3.50 per kilogram to $3 per kilogram, potentially saving the country $150 billion on energy imports. Puri noted that public sector units are planning to achieve 1 MMT capacity by 2030, and tenders for 42 kilo tonnes per annum (KTPA) are expected to rise to 170 KTPA.
“India is moving forward to capture 10 per cent of the global hydrogen market,” Puri said. He added that green hydrogen projects totaling around 900 KTPA have already been awarded to 19 companies.
In another post on X, the minister highlighted India’s strategic energy position, noting it is the world’s third-largest energy consumer, third-largest crude importer, and fourth-largest refiner. He said the country has 651.8 MMT of recoverable crude oil and 1,138.6 billion cubic meters of recoverable natural gas, offering significant untapped energy potential.
Puri emphasized the government’s commitment to large-scale investments, fiscal incentives, and simplified policies to boost upstream activity. Over the past decade, reforms have shifted from the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) to the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), moving from production-sharing to revenue-sharing regimes, and launching the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP).
He highlighted that OALP Round X was the largest-ever bid round, covering 1.92 lakh sq km. Investments of ₹1.4 lakh crore in exploration and production have supported major progress, with 578 wells drilled in FY25—ONGC’s highest in 35 years—and over 5,000 exploratory and development wells, including robust offshore programs.
