To promote vehicles operating on hydrogen fuel, this Ministry has issued a notification, vide G.S.R. 889(E), dated 16.09.2016, for use of Hydrogen as an automotive fuel in the country. The specifications for Hydrogen for Internal Combustion Engine have been specified in Annexure IV-W of the said notification. 18% blend of Hydrogen with CNG (HCNG) has been notified by this Ministry vide GSR 585(E) dated 25th September 2020. This Ministry vide GSR 579(E) dated 23rd September 2020 has notified safety norms regarding hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and its components.

Various hydrogen powered vehicles have been developed and demonstrated under projects supported by Government of India. These include 6 Fuel Cell buses (by Tata Motors Ltd.), 50 hydrogen enriched CNG (H-CNG) buses in Delhi (by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. in collaboration with Govt. of NCT of Delhi), 2 hydrogen fuelled Internal Combustion Engine buses (by IIT Delhi in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra), fifteen hydrogen fuelled 3wheelers (by IIT Delhi in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra), 2 Hydrogen-Diesel dual fuel cars (by Mahindra & Mahindra) and one fuel cell car (by CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Laboratory and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory). However, commercialization of hydrogen fuelled bus has not been undertaken in India so far.

This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

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MJPS

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