India is poised to significantly advance its sustainable mobility agenda with plans to deploy over 1,000 hydrogen-powered buses and trucks by 2030. This ambitious initiative, a cornerstone of the government’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, aims to profoundly decarbonize the nation’s long-haul transport sector, reduce its substantial reliance on fossil fuels, and solidify India's position as a burgeoning global leader in hydrogen technology.

The Indian government has strategically identified hydrogen as a highly practical and scalable solution for medium and heavy commercial vehicles, particularly for long-distance freight and passenger transport. While battery electric vehicles are increasingly adopted for last-mile delivery, their limitations in range and payload capacity for extended operations present challenges. Hydrogen-powered vehicles, leveraging their high energy density and significantly faster refueling times, offer a compelling and efficient alternative to conventional diesel trucks and buses, preserving crucial cargo space and maximizing operational uptime.

By the close of 2025, India anticipates having at least 50 hydrogen-powered trucks and buses operational, with deployment numbers projected to escalate annually as the underlying technology and requisite infrastructure mature. The target is to have more than 1,000 hydrogen commercial vehicles traversing Indian roads by 2030, serving critical logistics corridors and major urban routes.

Multiple pilot projects are currently underway across key transport arteries, including Delhi-Agra, Pune-Mumbai, and Ahmedabad-Surat. These trials involve both hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) vehicles, designed to rigorously test real-world performance metrics and optimize the complex logistics of hydrogen refueling.

India’s aggressive push into hydrogen mobility is being propelled by a dual approach, embracing both fuel cell and hydrogen-ICE technologies. Leading domestic manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Olectra Greentech, and Reliance Industries are actively engaged in the development and testing of these advanced commercial vehicles. Notably, Ashok Leyland, in collaboration with Reliance, has already deployed H2-ICE trucks, while Tata Motors is piloting both hydrogen fuel cell buses and trucks, demonstrating a diversified technological commitment.

Hydrogen-ICE vehicles are anticipated to achieve faster initial adoption due to their inherent compatibility with India’s existing automotive manufacturing and service infrastructure. Concurrently, fuel cell vehicles are being rigorously piloted as the preferred long-term, zero-emission solution for heavy-duty applications.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in 2023 with a substantial budget of ₹19,744 crore (approximately $2.37 billion USD), targets a minimum of 5 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of green hydrogen production and 60–100 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030. To support the nascent fleet, nine hydrogen refueling stations are being established across strategic transport routes as part of these early pilot projects, with comprehensive expansion plans contingent on broader adoption.

This national initiative fosters a collaborative ecosystem, bringing together government agencies, prominent public sector entities like NTPC and Indian Oil, and influential private industry leaders. Their collective efforts are focused on accelerating research and development, scaling up domestic manufacturing capabilities, and facilitating widespread deployment. India’s hydrogen mobility ambitions are well-aligned with global trends observed in Asia, Europe, and North America, where hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a vital energy vector for heavy-duty transport across road, rail, and maritime sectors. This strategic shift is expected to yield a significant reduction in carbon emissions from one of India’s most emission-intensive transport segments, thereby contributing substantially to both national and international climate mitigation goals.