The Ministry said the call for proposals issued on 16th March 2024 is receiving an encouraging response, but some stakeholders have requested more time for submission of R&D proposals.

In view of such requests and to allow sufficient time for the institutions to submit good-quality proposals, it has been decided to extend the deadline, it added.

The R&D Scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of Rs 400 crores till the financial year 2025-26.

The support under the R&D program includes all components of the Green Hydrogen value chain, namely, production, storage, compression, transportation, and utilisation.

The R&D projects supported under the mission will be goal-oriented, time-bound, and suitable to be scaled up. In addition to industrial and institutional research, innovative MSMEs and start-ups working on indigenous technology development will also be encouraged under the Scheme, the ministry said.

The R&D scheme seeks to make the production, storage, transportation and utilization of green hydrogen more affordable. It also aims to improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of the relevant processes and technologies involved in the green hydrogen value chain.

The scheme also aims to foster partnerships among industry, academia and government in order to establish an innovation ecosystem for Green Hydrogen technologies.

The scheme will help the scaling up and commercialization of Green Hydrogen technologies by providing the necessary policy and regulatory support.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched on 4th January 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 19,744 crores up to the financial year 2029-30.