Stakeholders at ICGH 2025 push financing tools, firmer offtake and India–France collaboration to speed scale-up
NEW DELHI, Nov 15 (The CONNECT) — Policy makers, financiers and project developers at the 3rd International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH) 2025 said India urgently needs innovative financing frameworks and targeted policy support to bridge the cost gap between green and grey hydrogen and unlock large-scale deployment.
The discussions were led by the Sustainable Projects Developers Association (SPDA), which convened two high-level sessions: a panel on “Financing Green Hydrogen: Bridging the Cost Gap” and an India–France CEO roundtable on the Green Hydrogen Value Chain.
In the financing session moderated by Dr Ashvini Kumar, former MD of SECI, senior lenders and developers said investment flow will accelerate only if India strengthens risk-mitigation tools, guarantees offtake, and brings clarity on cost drivers. SECI Director (Finance) Joshit Ranjan Sikidar, delivering the keynote, underlined the need for mechanisms that reduce project risk in the early years. Top financiers — including SBI Deputy MD Ashok Sharma, HDFC Bank’s Sudeep Sural, H2Global’s Dr Susana Moreira, SMBC’s Anuj Banga, ACME CFO Mudit Parashar and Ocior CEO Ranjit Gupta — discussed global models that could be adapted for India.
At the India–France roundtable, government officials and industry CEOs evaluated progress on the bilateral roadmap adopted in October 2022. The discussions centred on regulatory interoperability, carbon-certification standards, scientific collaboration and industrial partnerships across the hydrogen value chain. Participants included Mahaveer Singhvi (MEA), Florent Mangin, Axelle Blanchard, Elisa Vigato, Thierry Advocat, and senior executives from EDF, ENGIE and HDF Energy.
“India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems for green hydrogen since the launch of the Green Hydrogen Mission,” said Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, MNRE. He said upcoming projects have the potential to substitute fossil-fuel imports and decarbonise heavy industries, provided technology, skilling and standards continue to scale.
MEA’s Dr Sadre Alam said India should target export-led growth while boosting domestic consumption. “Industries are becoming more competitive in setting up plants in record time. Our production should increasingly be export-oriented,” he said.
Avaada Group Chairman Vineet Mittal warned that achieving the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat will be “challenging” without a shift in India’s fuel mix. “We have the technology and proof that green fuel can be competitive. The next step is enabling hard-to-abate sectors to use it more aggressively, supported by mandates like those used for wind and solar,” he said. Mittal added that energy transition is “not just about technology but about transforming destinies.”
SPDA Governing Council member Ravi Verma told French industry leaders that India is building a full ecosystem for green hydrogen and derivatives such as ammonia and methanol, and invited French firms to deepen industrial partnerships. “The government has been addressing issues confronting the sector through timely policy interventions. Focus will remain on cost reduction, efficiency and technology localisation,” he said.
Despite progress under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the high cost of electrolysers, renewable power and supporting infrastructure continues to limit commercial adoption. Undeveloped storage and transport networks and limited long-term purchase assurance remain key constraints. The SPDA sessions concluded with broad consensus that India must now deploy blended financing, global best-practice models and stronger policy instruments to make green hydrogen economically viable at scale.
