New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said hydrogen could play a major role in India’s transport sector. The government
is now testing hydrogen-based mobility on 10 routes across the country, according to a PTI report.
Speaking at an event in Gandhinagar on Thursday, Gadkari said the trials will help assess how hydrogen can work as a transport fuel under real road conditions. The routes cover major city links, highways and tourism corridors in different parts of India.
Hydrogen trials begin across 10 Indian routes
The pilot programme includes Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Pune-Mumbai and Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri.
Other routes are Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinga Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, Kochi-Edappally, Jamnagar-Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam-Bayyavaram on NH-16.
“Our ministry is doing a pilot project on ten routes for hydrogen trials. I am sure the future of the transportation industry is hydrogen, and hydrogen is the fuel of the future, and we are working on that,” Gadkari said.
The minister said India’s automobile sector is making progress in alternative fuels and biofuels. He said the country could emerge as a major centre for cleaner transport technologies.
India needs more buses, says Gadkari
Gadkari called for a stronger public transport system with better comfort, lower costs and improved technology. He said India needs close to three lakh buses every year, but current production is only around 70,000 to 80,000 units.
He asked electric bus makers to pass on the benefit of falling lithium-ion battery prices to buyers. The ministry is also working on lowering electricity costs for charging buses, trucks and passenger vehicles.
Road accidents remain a major concern
Gadkari said India records around five lakh road accidents and 1.8 lakh deaths every year. Nearly 66 per cent of those killed are in the 18 to 36 age group.
He added that road crashes cost the economy around 3 per cent of GDP. Gadkari also said India’s automobile industry has grown from ₹14 lakh crore to ₹22 lakh crore, making it the third-largest automotive market globally.
