On World Hydrogen Day, India’s maritime future sounded a bold, ambitious note: the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has doubled down on its Green Ports Mission, making the case for ports as cargo hubs and as drivers of the low-carbon energy transition. The ministry’s message—posted on X and propagating via official channels—urged ‘hubs powered by hydrogen and clean fuels for vessels, port operations, and the logistics chains that bind them…’
Why ports? Because they are typically positioned and located at the intersection of energy, industry, and trade—and as such, they are ideally suited to be launch pads for green hydrogen. India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, recently approved by the Union Cabinet, aims to establish India as a global hub for the production, use, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. A target of 5 million tonnes annually by 2030 underpins this goal, and the government is supporting it to the tune of significant funds and policy incentives to lower costs and attract electrolyzer manufacturers and investors.
The statement from the ministry about World Hydrogen Day did more than outline policy—it also pointed to a developing and deepening pipeline of real projects. Industrial green-hydrogen plants, port-scale pilots, and the like are starting to reconfigure the supply chain. Industry leaders and ministers have also flagged some initial wins: domestic electrolyzer manufacturing, green-hydrogen tenders for ammonia export, and competitive bids at major port complexes; this all shows private capital is taking India’s hydrogen ambitions seriously. Practiced pilots are already underway. The central government is promoting pilot projects to update current ships, create refueling stations, and test refueling systems—these are crucial steps to make hydrogen a practical option for regular port activities and coastal shipping. These pilots, which have support from the Ministries of New & Renewable Energy and Ports, will develop the data needed to substantiate the technologies, safety procedures, and viable business models needed to grow that market.
India’s ports are not embarking on a new venture. These locally initiated projects—such as a pre-commercial-scale green hydrogen facility that is being developed at Deendayal (Kandla) Port—represent the fast-paced and localized innovation that we now often call “Make in India.” The country is already producing hydrogen for buses and light fixtures from an electrolyzer that recently began operating there, and it intends to increase production levels in the coming months. These demonstrations on the ground produce immediate local benefits (cleaner air and power resilience) at the same time that they are also laying the groundwork for the pathway to an export-grade green fuel market.
If World Hydrogen Day had a gimmicky trivia card, it would be that it has the date of October 8 (10.08) as a reference to hydrogen’s atomic weight, which is 1.008. The day has since become a global community celebration of hydrogen and an open acknowledgement of the technical, economic, and approval gaps that remain. India’s strategy, which wants to connect the lofty national ambition with something small and tangible at ports, is one approach to narrow the gap between aspiration and reality.
What will bring success? Success will depend on lowering costs of electrolysis, establishing renewable electricity at ports, implementing various bunkering safety standards, and creating financing models that provide credit for economy-wide reductions in emissions. The ministry is both aspirational and tactical in saying that India can reduce maritime emissions, create value chains for export (think green ammonia and methanol), and enhance energy security while simultaneously enhancing a new domestic industrial capacity by using ports as green hydrogen hubs.
On a day dedicated to hydrogen, India’s maritime efforts appear to be less about strategic positioning and more akin to a game of checkers or chess. By implementing initiatives and prototypes incrementally at the level of ports, the country is clearly attempting to align local priorities and global market capabilities. If in the months ahead we see successful demonstrations, and unit costs begin to drop as both ministers and industry suggest, India’s physical ports may soon go beyond tonnage and containers to trading in clean energy.
