Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, launched a pilot project for field trails on use of hydrogen in mobility sector last week, describing it as a major milestone in India’s clean energy advancement.
The Minister underlined that green hydrogen is globally becoming the backbone of future energy systems. He said the collaboration, along with the handover of Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to National Institute for Solar Energy (NISE) for real-world testing, brings innovation, industry expertise and scientific rigour to advance India’s clean energy transition.
He noted that such collaborations strengthen “Energy aatma nirbharta”, promote innovative low-emission transportation solutions, and align with India’s Panchamrit climate commitments, reaffirming the Government’s confidence that green hydrogen will drive India’s energy economy in the coming decades.
Calling the introduction of Toyota’s ‘Mirai’ fuel cell electric vehicle “a new chapter for sustainable mobility,” the Minister, said the name Mirai, meaning “future” in Japanese, symbolises India’s aspiration for a clean, green and sustainable mobility ecosystem.
Under the MoU, NISE will conduct an extensive assessment of the FCEV Mirai on diverse road conditions, including heat, dust, traffic congestion and varied terrain.
The Minister said the testing for next two years, will generate critical insights to scale up hydrogen mobility nationwide while building awareness, confidence and technical capability among industry, academia and policymakers.
He highlighted that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are clean, silent and emission-free, emitting only water, and that fuel cell technologies are increasingly powering cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships and stationary power systems worldwide.
The Minister said that by personally driving a hydrogen vehicle, he wishes to send a clear message that hydrogen mobility is ready and well-suited for Indian conditions.
He commended Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) for its commitment to carbon neutrality and appreciated NISE for its leadership in advancing India’s clean energy ambitions.
“With this vehicle, we are launching not just an MoU but confidence, cooperation and commitment to a clean and sustainable future” the Minister said.
Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “This partnership and the handover of the ‘Toyota Mirai’ for testing & trials, reaffirms our dedication to supporting India’s Green Hydrogen Mission and accelerating the nation’s transition toward future mobility that is powered by green & indigenous energy sources.”
We believe hydrogen fuel-cell technology, alongside other sustainable public technologies, will play a pivotal role in helping India achieve its net-zero commitments and energy independence objectives.” Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary MNRE, Mohammad Rihan, Director General, NISE and Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission were also present on this occasion.