Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
National Green Hydrogen Mission
"India's flagship mission to make the country a global hub for the production, use and export of green hydrogen produced from renewable energy"
The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) is a Government of India scheme, launched in January 2023 with an outlay of about Rs 19,744 crore, to develop green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) per year by 2030, backed by around 125 GW of added renewable energy capacity. Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water through electrolysis powered entirely by renewable electricity, so it emits no carbon at the point of production, unlike grey hydrogen made from fossil gas. Its central incentive pillar is the SIGHT programme (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition) that supports electrolyser manufacturing and hydrogen production.
High UPSC relevance for GS3 (energy security, climate mitigation, decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors like steel, fertiliser and refining). Green hydrogen is a route to India's net-zero-by-2070 pledge and to cutting fossil fuel imports. As of February 2026, roughly 8,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen capacity had been commissioned under the mission, making the 5 MMT target a stretch goal that anchors questions on India's clean energy transition.
- 1 Launched January 2023 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); outlay about Rs 19,744 crore up to 2029-30
- 2 Targets 5 MMT of green hydrogen per year by 2030, expandable to 10 MMT with export demand
- 3 Requires roughly 125 GW of additional renewable energy capacity and about Rs 8 lakh crore of total investment
- 4 SIGHT scheme funds electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production through competitive bidding
- 5 Aims to cut about 50 MMT of CO2 emissions and reduce fossil fuel imports by about Rs 1 lakh crore by 2030
- 6 [object Object]
- 7 As of February 2026 about 8,000 tonnes per annum capacity commissioned; treated by analysts as aspirational
By February 2026 India had commissioned around 8,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production capacity under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with pilot projects in steel, mobility and shipping being scaled up to move the mission from paper to plants.
