Green hydrogen explained: how India defines it and why it matters

Green hydrogen is hydrogen made by splitting water with renewable electricity. This PIB backgrounder explains how India defines it and where it could be used.

Why it matters

When hydrogen is used in a fuel cell, only water and heat are left behind. But the climate impact depends on how it is made: conventional methods rely on fossil fuels and release carbon. Using solar or wind power instead cuts that footprint substantially.

It is most useful in sectors where emissions are hard to cut: fertiliser, petroleum refining, iron and steel, heavy-duty road transport and shipping. Fertiliser and refining plants already use hydrogen, so green hydrogen can replace the fossil-based supply.

How India defines "green"

In August 2023 the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy notified India's Green Hydrogen Standard. Hydrogen qualifies as green if emissions do not exceed 2 kg of CO₂ equivalent per kg of hydrogen, on a well-to-gate basis, as a 12-month average. The backgrounder says India became one of the first few countries to define it formally.

How it is made

Green hydrogen is produced mainly by electrolysis. An electrolyser passes current between a cathode and an anode in an electrolyte; hydrogen forms at the cathode and oxygen at the anode, and a diaphragm keeps the gases apart.

The mission

The National Green Hydrogen Mission supports domestic manufacturing, production, assured demand and credible certification. The backgrounder says wider use could reduce import dependence and open opportunities in manufacturing, investment, jobs and exports. It also supports India's net-zero goal for 2070.

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Source: official release by the PIB Backgrounder, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (02 NOV 2026 4:05PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Green Hydrogen.