The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the second call for research and development (R&D) proposals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of affordable, safe, and scalable hydrogen technologies across the value chain. Submissions are open until August 21, 2025, with a focus on technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 or higher.

Part of the government’s ₹4 billion R&D Roadmap, this round builds on the initial call issued in March 2024. The initiative is designed to boost indigenous innovation in hydrogen production, storage, transport, and application through strong academic-industry collaborations.

Key Priority Areas:

• Hydrogen Production: Low-cost electrodes and membranes, modular reformers, and biomass-based methods.

• Storage & Transport: High-capacity storage materials, compression technologies, pipeline viability, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC).

• Applications: Hydrogen refueling systems, UAV power, and safety technologies such as sensors and leak detectors.

Eligible applicants include academic institutions, public sector undertakings, private industry, and government R&D bodies. Proposals must demonstrate academic-industry partnerships, with academic institutions eligible for up to 100% project funding and industry partners eligible for up to 80%, contingent on financial and technical participation.

Funding Terms and Cost Structure:

• Overheads are capped at 8% for projects up to ₹10 million, with sliding scales for higher budgets.

• Domestic travel is limited to ₹300,000 per year per project.

• Contingency expenses can account for up to 10% of total project cost.

Proposals must detail clear deliverables, timelines, principal investigator credentials, and international benchmarks. All applicants are expected to define initial TRLs of ≥4 and outline a pathway to TRL 7+ by the end of the project.

The second R&D call reinforces India’s push to build a robust, self-reliant green hydrogen ecosystem by promoting technologies that are both economically viable and globally competitive.

Source:

https://mnre.gov.in/en/notice/second-call-for-proposals-under-research-and-development-scheme-of-national-green-hydrogen-mission-nghm/