Key Highlights

  • Global Lead: Indian companies have signed green hydrogen offtake contracts of over 5,55,610 MTPA till October 2026, the government said.
  • Big Money: The deals are driving investments of over Rs 90,000 crore (about $9.5 billion).
  • Export-Led: More than 70% of the supply commitments are meant for global markets.
  • Strong 2026: 18 new agreements covering over 4 lakh MTPA were signed this year alone.
  • Major Buyers: Deals span Japan’s IHI and JERA, Germany’s Uniper and Hintco, and South Korea’s Samsung C&T.

India has emerged as the world’s largest source of green hydrogen supply commitments, according to the government. Total offtake contracts signed by Indian companies have crossed 5,55,610 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) till October 2026, backed by aggregate investments of over Rs 90,000 crore, or about $9.5 billion.

“Indian developers have secured 23 major contracts, accumulating over 5.5 lakh MTPA in supply commitments. With over 70 per cent dedicated to global exports, this milestone is driving Rs 90,000 crore in clean energy investments,” Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday.

Momentum has picked up sharply this year. In 2026 alone, Indian companies signed 18 new offtake agreements for over 4 lakh MTPA of green hydrogen equivalent, accounting for the bulk of the total.

India’s Export Bet

The most striking part of the numbers is where the fuel is going. Rather than building mainly for domestic use, Indian developers are positioning themselves as suppliers to countries that need clean fuels but lack the cheap renewable power to produce them at scale.

According to the official statement, Indian suppliers are offering the world’s most competitive prices for green ammonia and green methanol, strengthening their position in European and Japanese markets. These derivatives are easier to transport than pure hydrogen and are finding uses as clean shipping fuel, in ammonia co-firing at thermal power plants, and in fertiliser and refining.

The deal list reads like a map of global decarbonisation demand:

  • ACME Group will supply 4,88,000 MTPA of green ammonia to IHI, Japan, and 1,00,000 MTPA of green methanol to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Japan.
  • Reliance Industries has signed a long-term agreement with Samsung C&T Corporation, South Korea, valued at over $3 billion, one of the largest green ammonia contracts globally, with deliveries expected by 2028.
  • AM Green won the Asian lot in Germany’s H2Global auction run by Hintco, which will buy RFNBO ammonia worth at least 585 million euros over 10 years, with first deliveries in 2029. It has also signed with Uniper, Germany, for 2,50,000 MTPA, and a binding head of agreement with Japan’s JERA for 70,000 MTPA.
  • L&T and ITOCHU have formed an SPV to supply 3,00,000 TPA of green ammonia from December 2029.
  • Jouno Joules has an agreement with Select Energy GmbH for about 2,19,000 MTPA, while Agastya is working on a 2,50,000 MTPA green methanol deal with SAR, Sri Lanka.

Domestic Demand Builds Up Too

Alongside exports, the government’s Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme has created a home market. Agreements have been signed to supply 6,70,000 MTPA of green ammonia to 11 fertiliser units, and projects have been awarded to supply 30,000 MTPA of green hydrogen to refineries of IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and NRL.

The SIGHT Programme is part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in 2023 with a target of 5 million tonnes of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030.

From Contracts to Cargo

Offtake contracts are a crucial first step because they give developers assured buyers, which makes financing large plants easier. The real test, however, lies ahead. Most export deliveries are scheduled to begin between 2028 and 2029, which means India now has to convert signed agreements into working plants, renewable power capacity and port infrastructure on time.

If it does, India could become one of the anchor suppliers in the global clean fuel trade, much as Gulf nations did for oil in the last century.

(With inputs from IANS)