India’s green hydrogen growth depends on renewables, infrastructure and industrial demand

Transparent price benchmarks, stable regulatory frameworks and effective price-discovery mechanisms will be needed to reduce uncertainty, support investment and enable international trade

The second day of the S&P Global Energy Horizons Clean Energy Expansion India 2026 conference wrapped up with a sharp focus on scaling the nation's green hydrogen market. Experts emphasized that growth depends on reliable, affordable renewable power, upgraded grid and maritime infrastructure, stable policy frameworks, and consistent industrial demand.

Green hydrogen development in India relies heavily on rapidly expanding renewable energy capacity, upgrading transmission grids, and streamlining open-access systems. Building a competitive domestic supply chain is equally critical, requiring a careful balance between supporting local manufacturing and maintaining the cost-effectiveness and speed of adding new capacity.

India’s ability to maximize its export potential relies heavily on building robust infrastructure that seamlessly links domestic production hubs to global markets. To succeed, the country must prioritize port readiness, expand shipping capacity, establish bunkering facilities, and implement strict safety protocols for handling hydrogen derivatives like ammonia. Furthermore, securing credible offtake agreements and long-term contracts will be essential to provide market certainty for both producers and international buyers.

The conference also underscored the importance of greater alignment between hydrogen policies and standards across key markets. Transparent price benchmarks, stable regulatory frameworks and effective price-discovery mechanisms will be needed to reduce uncertainty, support investment and enable international trade.

The conversations also highlighted that fertilizer, refining and steel could provide significant sources of demand as India works to reduce emissions from hard-to-abate industries. Scaling adoption, however, will require solutions that address the cost of replacing conventional hydrogen, the feasibility of adapting existing facilities and the economics of producing hydrogen on-site compared with procuring it from third-party suppliers.

The central outcome from the conference was that production capacity alone will not create a viable green hydrogen market. Progress will require coordinated development across the value chain, from renewable power and transmission to ports, policy, pricing and long-term industrial demand.