India Moves to Standardize Hydrogen-Powered Truck Engines
Government agencies aim to establish testing protocols for hydrogen-based freight transport technologies.
1Standardizing Hydrogen Freight Technology
The Indian government is actively working to standardize hydrogen-powered truck engines and testing procedures. This initiative, led by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Automotive Research Association of India, aims to create reliable alternatives to diesel. These efforts focus on both hydrogen internal combustion engines and fuel cell vehicles.
2Urgency of Decarbonizing Logistics
Heavy-duty diesel trucks represent only 5% of India's total vehicle fleet but generate 34% of transport sector carbon emissions. Addressing this disparity is essential for India's 2070 net-zero goals. Reducing pollution from freight is particularly critical for major cities like Delhi, which frequently face severe air quality crises during winter months.
3Technical Focus of ARAI
The Automotive Research Association of India is currently developing direct-injection hydrogen engines for heavy trucks. Their fiscal year 2026 report highlights the establishment of testing protocols for both H2-ICE and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. These technical benchmarks are designed to ensure safety and performance standards across the emerging hydrogen vehicle manufacturing industry.
4National Green Hydrogen Mission
This standardization work falls under the ₹19,744-crore National Green Hydrogen Mission launched in January 2023. The mission seeks to position India as a global hub for green hydrogen production and export. By targeting the transport sector, the government hopes to integrate hydrogen usage into the country's long-term industrial and energy strategy.
5Current Industry Pilot Projects
Major automakers like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland are already testing hydrogen-based truck models. Recent government-led pilots include fuel-cell bus trials in Delhi-NCR and Leh. Furthermore, a March 2025 pilot project expanded these efforts to cover 37 buses and trucks across 10 specific routes to gather real-world performance data for heavy vehicles.
6Efficiency and Production Challenges
Testing on the Delhi-Jaipur corridor showed heavy-duty hydrogen trucks achieving 8.1 km per kilogram of hydrogen. While promising, scaling remains difficult due to the high cost and limited availability of electrolysers. Currently, India produces 6.5 million tonnes of hydrogen annually, but most is grey hydrogen derived from fossil fuel sources.
7Policy and Financial Support
The government provides significant financial backing through the ₹25,938-crore production-linked incentive scheme for automobiles. This policy allows eligible manufacturers to claim incentives until fiscal year 2029. Additionally, hydrogen powertrains are viewed as a vital complement to electric vehicles, particularly for long-haul freight operations that require high energy density and range.
8Future Industry Guardrails
Experts suggest that establishing these standards will provide essential guardrails for the industry, setting minimum requirements for future commercial deployment. While technology development is underway, the long-term success of hydrogen freight depends heavily on building robust refueling infrastructure along major highway corridors to support the widespread adoption of zero-emission heavy transport.
Original article: mint - industry — India Moves to Standardize Hydrogen-Powered Truck Engines