Eminent scientists, academicians, industry experts, technologists, research scholars and students discussed recent advancements, emerging opportunities and challenges across the hydrogen value chain at a workshop organised to commemorate National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.
“India is working on research and development of advanced materials for indigenous hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies such as electrocatalysts, bipolar plates, membrane electrode assemblies, fuel-cell stacks, alkaline electrolysers for hydrogen generation,” said Dr. R. Vijay, Director, ARCI, at the workshop that was held at IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai.
The deliberations at the workshop organised by the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D centre of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, on October 13, 2026, covered hydrogen generation, storage, purification and utilization, with particular emphasis on fuel-cell technologies, mobility applications, safety, standards and industrial deployment.
Prof. R. R. Sonde, IIT Delhi–Abu Dhabi, outlined five sovereign commitments encompassing energy independence, economic development, net-zero emissions and industrial decarbonization, universal energy access, and a clean environment. He highlighted the importance of harnessing diverse hydrogen-production pathways based on locally available biomass to accelerate the establishment of a domestic hydrogen ecosystem, develop a robust hydrogen economy and strengthen national energy independence.
Fig 1: Group photograph of dignitaries, invited speakers and participants
Dr. R. Subasri, Associate Director, ARCI, emphasised the growing importance of transitioning towards cleaner and more sustainable energy technologies to protect the environment and safeguard the planet for future generations.
About 150 delegates participated in the 9th Workshop on “Recent Advancements in Hydrogen Value Chain", which included experts from the academia, R&D institutes and industry who delivered lectures during the technical sessions.
The discussions and deliberations at the workshop collectively reflected the multidisciplinary nature of hydrogen technology development, extending from fundamental materials research and advanced component engineering to hydrogen production, storage, system integration and industrial deployment.
Fig 2 : Guest of Honour, Prof. R.R. Sonde being felicitated by Dr. R.Vijay, Director ARCI, during the inaugural session of the workshop.