Expecting 400-500 hydrogen-powered buses running by 2030: Hydrogen Mission Chief

By the end of 2030, we expect at least 400 to 500 buses and trucks running in the country that is the first sector where the cost can be bridged very fast, Abhay Bakre said. File | Photo Credit: Manjunath H S The government expects at least 400 to 500 hydrogen-fuelled buses and trucks to be plying on the country’s roads by the end of 2030, said Abhay Bakre, Mission Director (Head) of the Renewable Ministry’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.Speaking at S&P’s Clean Energy Conclave on Thursday (September 24, 2026), Mr. Bakre mentioned that by the end of the year a total of 45-50 hydrogen-powered buses and trucks applying to commence trials.Underlining priority towards heavy-duty vehicles, the senior official mentioned 70 buses and trucks, with pay load capacities ranging from 20 ton to 55 ton, have been already sanctioned to conduct trials.“By the end of 2030, we expect at least 400 to 500 buses and trucks running in the country that is the first sector where the cost can be bridged very fast,” he said, adding that the operating cost of a conventional diesel bus and a hydrogen bus would be almost at par in the “next two to three years” once the trials conclude.Mr. Bakre further mentioned that twenty highways have been identified to conduct trials for hydrogen fuelling stations.“These trials will actually give us [a sense] of what mobility interventions would allow India to scale up,” he said. Published - September 25, 2026 09:38 am IST