Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Through the first stakeholder's consultation meeting, held in Ahmedabad on 21st April 2023, Gujarat kicked-off the much-anticipated Hydrogen Valley Project in the state with the aim to develop a localized hydrogen value chain where it serves more than one end sector or application in mobility, industry, and energy. The meeting was jointly organized by iCreate in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Sunil Parekh, a Board Member of the FICCI National Executive Council, served as one of the co-chairs for the event.

DST's vision is to support India's progress towards Green Hydrogen and to transform India into an energy-independent nation by 2047 where green hydrogen will play an active role as an alternate fuel to petroleum / fossil-based products. The project will promote research on novel hydrogen technologies while building capacity and capability for its production, distribution, and use cases in a timely and cost-effective manner. Dr Ranjith Krishna Pai Scientist 'E'/Director at Climate Change & Clean Energy (C3E) Division, DST-GoI, presented the guidelines for setting up Hydrogen Valley Innovation clusters. The keynote address on "Role of research and innovation in accelerating the Hydrogen Economy" was delivered by Padmashri Dr G. D Yadav, Emeritus Professor of Eminence and former Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology. Sandip J Sagale, IAS, Industries Commissioner of the Government of Gujarat, also shared insights on the immense potential of the hydrogen ecosystem in not only addressing energy challenges but also creating abundant opportunities for stakeholders, particularly in the MSME sector, and generating new job prospects in the near future.

Speaking on the occasion, Avinash Punekar, CEO of, iCreate said, "With the help of innovation and technology, India has always been at the forefront of positive climate action globally. iCreate is proud to be leading the Gujarat Hydrogen Valley Consortium, which will be integral to meeting India's commitment to reduce the Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030. iCreate is confident that working together with a common synergy will lead to the creation of a unique and supremely successful Hydrogen Valley Project model to be implemented across India."

The event saw participation from companies like Reliance Industries Limited, Welspun Enterprises Limited, Essar, Adani Group, Hypower Systems, ArcerlorMittal Nippon Steel India; MG Motor India; State PSUs like Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited, Gujarat Alkalies, and Chemicals Limited, Gujarat Energy Development Agency; City Gas distribution company Charotar Gas Sahakari Mandali Limited; and R&D institutions like CSIR - Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), IIT Mandi.

The Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Gujarat will be a part of India's efforts to develop clean Hydrogen Valleys by 2030. In its first meeting facilitated by iCreate a leading innovation-based start-up incubator, representatives from stakeholders such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST) - Govt. of India, Govt. of Gujarat, industry partners, financial institutions, academia, and innovators explored aspects of policy and framework along with unique partnerships to further R&D in state-of-the-art hydrogen technologies.

Dr Ranjith Krishna Pai Scientist 'E'/Director at Climate Change & Clean Energy (C3E) Division, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, said, "We are excited to initiate the stakeholder's consultations on DST's Hydrogen Valley Innovation cluster in Gujarat, with a focus on developing a localized hydrogen value chain and promoting research on novel hydrogen technologies. As part of India's commitment to reducing emissions, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is proud to associate with various stakeholders to explore unique partnerships and policy frameworks for state-of-the-art hydrogen technologies. We believe that with breakthrough innovations and widespread adoption, we can unlock cost-competitiveness and achieve a successful model for the Hydrogen Valley Innovation clusters across India."

In line with the global Clean Hydrogen Mission, one of the priority goals is reducing hydrogen production costs to unlock the cost-competitiveness of all hydrogen applications. This can be achieved through the identification of breakthrough technology innovations coupled with their widespread adoption to ensure commercial viability and competitive end-use applications. iCreate's capabilities in identifying and incubating technology innovations and startups in collaboration with industry leaders will be key in the evaluation, validation, and scaling up of such innovations.

There is an urgent requirement to fulfill the increasing energy demands while also achieving decarbonization across sectors, ensuring energy security, and supporting sustainable growth. The versatility of hydrogen has immense potential to power the future of India's growth and needs while significantly contributing to global climate action goals. It is thus, in our common interest and that of our future generations that we share our expertise to make India's Hydrogen Valleys a success.

In order to maximize collaboration from all stakeholders, regular and active consultation meetings have been planned to evaluate and swiftly leverage opportunities, while taking advantage of common strengths. The Department of Science and Technologies has invited organizations and industry players to make alliances that work in the direction of establishing Hydrogen Valley Innovation clusters across India. The outcome of the meeting would be the submission of an Expression of Interest to the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India for the Preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for setting up the Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster (HVIC) in Gujarat.

Sandip J. Sagale, IAS, Industries Commissioner, Govt. of Gujarat said, "We are thrilled to kick-start the Hydrogen Valley Project in Gujarat to develop a localized hydrogen value chain with applications in mobility, industry, and energy. Through regular stakeholder consultations and strategic alliances, we aim to leverage common strengths to establish a cost-effective and timely hydrogen ecosystem. We are confident in creating a successful model for Hydrogen Valley projects in Gujarat, aligning with our commitment to reduce emissions and foster innovation for a sustainable future."

Dr Sapna Poti, Director - Strategic Alliances, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt of India said, "Our focus is on identifying synergies and capabilities in emerging technologies to make India's clean hydrogen mission a model that can be replicated across. Gujarat's efforts in this direction hold immense potential with the availability of resources, talent and the intention to bring together all stakeholders for one of the largest Hydrogen Valley Projects in India. As we continue to explore use cases and technologies in this space, our single mission is to create a sustainable and interconnected energy ecosystem for India."

iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology) is an autonomous centre of excellence of the Government of Gujarat and is India's leading institution for transforming tech-based innovations into successful businesses. It is the winner of the National Award for Technology Business Incubator 2020, and to date it has supported over 560 innovations and more than 47 patents with a 'hightouch, entrepreneur-first model, connecting them with mentors, markets, and money. Embedded systems and IoT are a focus area for iCreate, in domains like electric vehicles, agritech, smart cities, healthtech, industrial automation, and renewable energy. Located in a state-of-the-art 40-acre campus at Dev Dholera in Ahmedabad, iCreate is home to Cisco's largest Innovation Lab in India. It has a strategic partnership with CSIR, India's apex organization for science and technology, and with leading institutions across the world.

The Government of India established the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) in November 1999. The PSA's office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and the cabinet in matters of Science and Technology. The Office of PSA was placed under the Cabinet Secretariat in August 2018. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood is currently serving as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

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