IIT Madras to develop hydrogen innovation hub in partnership with Hyundai Motor India

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras signed an agreement with the Hyundai Motor India Limited and Tamil Nadu's investment promotion agency Guidance Tamil Nadu, for setting up a ‘Hydrogen Valley Innovation Hub’. This initiative aims to promote a green hydrogen ecosystem in the country.

IIT Madras is the nodal agency for establishing the hub and has special focus on localization of manufacturing, skill development, creation of validation platforms, roadmap and landscape analysis for the hydrogen ecosystem. It will take up the responsibility for creating the hub at its campus including land, building infrastructure, and R&D infrastructure. The institute will also develop a curriculum and body of knowledge for skill development.

IIT Madras will also establish a Centre of Excellence that will work as a think tank and conduct annual conferences, workshops besides publishing research papers.

Guidance Tamil Nadu will support the initiative through policy advocacy on hydrogen-related technologies and development of regulations.

Speaking on the occasion, Unsoo Kim, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd., said, “The goal is to help foster a worldwide Hydrogen Society by making hydrogen readily used for everyone, everything and everywhere. As part of this, we are collaborating with the Government of Tamil Nadu and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a dedicated Hydrogen Resource Centre in association with IIT Madras. This facility will act as an incubation cell to develop a framework for localisation of a hydrogen ecosystem. This initaitive is also expected to generate employment and support skill development in the region. We are confident that these concerted efforts, combining the involvement of industry cohorts with their respective enterprises, will help drive Tamil Nadu to become a one trillion economy.”

Speaking about this project, Professor V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, said, “As our country has set definite targets towards meeting the sustainable development goals, using non-fossil fuel is of great significance. In this direction, a consortium coordinated by IIT Madras is setting up a Hydrogen Valley project. This funding from Hyundai has come at an extremely appropriate time and certainly shall help in the rapid growth of this Consortium. I am sure in the years to come; this Consortium will provide feasible solutions towards substitution of non-fossil fuels by green hydrogen.”

The agreement was signed during the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 held in the presence of TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Tamil Nadu.