Hyundai Motor India and IIT-M team up to fuel H2 technology dreams

Hyundai Motor India has teamed up with IIT Madras and Guidance Tamil Nadu to launch the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre, aimed at advancing green hydrogen technology and India's clean energy future

India is finally making a move in hydrogen fuel cell technology for passenger cars too. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Tuesday joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Guidance Tamil Nadu to unveil the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre within the Discovery Satellite Campus of IIT Madras at Thaiyur in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 

The state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) hub is poised to serve as a catalyst for innovation in the field of green hydrogen technology and its ecosystem. This comes after the company showcased the Hyundai Nexo hydrogen FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) recently and joined hands with Indian Oil Corporation to conduct real-world tests on Indian roads. The only other company working on hydrogen cars in India is Toyota Kirloskar Motor, which is doing a pilot with the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) using the Toyota Mirai to study hydrogen fuel cell technology in Indian conditions. Already, pilot runs are happening in commercial vehicle (CV) segment. 

   

"Our vision goes beyond electrification. We see green hydrogen as a transformative energy solution with applications across sectors, from refining fuels to producing fertilisers and chemicals," said Unsoo Kim, managing director, HMIL. This milestone marks the next phase in HMIL’s ₹100 crore commitment to pioneering green hydrogen innovation in India.

 

"For India to grow, Tamil Nadu needs to be growing by leaps and bounds, and that is exactly what the state is doing now through its amazing talent. The possibilities that are here in this amazing place are the possibilities that the rest of the world is only now looking up to. The Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is a crucial step towards indigenous hydrogen production," said T R B Rajaa, industries minister of Tamil Nadu.

 

IIT Madras will house this Centre, spread across a sprawling 65,000 square feet (sq ft) area on its Discovery Campus at Thaiyur, featuring advanced computational and experimental laboratories. The development of digital twins of hydrogen infrastructure along with customized test rigs and fabrication lines will contribute to the pilot-level evaluation of electrolysers and fuel cells. It will also host test zones for containerised pilot demonstrators for industrial-scale products.

 

Aligned with the Government of India’s (GoI’s) vision of energy independence by 2047, the facility will also drive R&D and demonstration activities to accelerate readiness and adoption across the green hydrogen value chain, making the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre a national hub for cost-effective, scalable hydrogen innovation.

 

"This initiative demonstrates our commitment to ‘Make in India’ by empowering local innovation, nurturing talent, and supporting the development of scalable, affordable, and sustainable hydrogen solutions. Our collaboration with IIT Madras and the Government of Tamil Nadu reflects our long-term vision of advancing India’s clean energy future, and establishing a strong foundation for a hydrogen-powered tomorrow," Kim said. 

 

Building on Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen brand and business platform HTWO, the Centre is envisioned as a hub for industrial-scale hydrogen research and innovation. Leveraging HTWO’s comprehensive expertise across the entire hydrogen value chain — from production and storage to application — as well as its role as an open platform for collaboration, investment, and partnership, the facility will focus on advancing hydrogen solutions in the mobility and power sectors. With a strong emphasis on localisation of the hydrogen value chain, pilot infrastructure development, and public-private collaboration, the Centre aims to accelerate the growth of a viable hydrogen economy.

 

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti said the Centre will run its first vehicle within three years. "This Centre will work with all the stakeholders of the hydrogen sector at the global level, including academia, national R&D laboratories, industries, and policymakers. This will make India Atmanirbhar Bharat in the hydrogen sector. It will greatly contribute to sustainability, and provide a boost to the nation’s decarbonisation initiatives that target Net Zero by 2070," Kamakoti said.

 

Beyond R&D, the facility is expected to play a critical role in developing India’s skilled hydrogen workforce, and supporting the GoI’s vision of building an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.