IIT Madras will host the new innovation Centre, which will span a sprawling 65,000 sq. ft. at its Discovery Campus in Thaiyur. The facility will feature 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 electrolyzers and fuel cells. It will also house test zones for containerised pilot demonstrators for industrial-scale products. The facility is scheduled to be operational by 2026.
The HTWO Innovation Centre will function as a national hub for green hydrogen research and development, focusing on production, storage, and application technologies.
“This collaboration between Hyundai and IIT Madras showcases India’s potential in clean energy innovation,” said T R B Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu. “The HTWO Innovation Centre is a vital step toward achieving indigenous hydrogen production.”
The Centre is part of a strategic collaboration signed during the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet in January 2024. HMIL, along with the Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), has committed INR 100 crore to the project. This funding forms part of the total project cost of INR 180 crore.
Unsoo Kim, Managing Director of HMIL, stated that Hyundai views hydrogen as a crucial element in the pursuit of global carbon neutrality. He explained that the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is intended to serve as an open platform for knowledge exchange, promoting collaboration between international experts and the local green hydrogen ecosystem. “The Centre will focus on end-to-end research and development across the hydrogen value chain — from production and storage to transportation and application,” he added.
Kim noted that Hyundai has been pioneering hydrogen advancements for over two decades — including the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) — and continues to invest in hydrogen infrastructure across South Korea, the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
Highlighting the role of the Institute in the project, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, stated that the Centre would collaborate with stakeholders across the global hydrogen sector, including academia, national R&D laboratories, industry, and policymakers.
He added that the HTWO initiative would support India’s goal of becoming Atmanirbhar in the hydrogen sector, significantly contribute to sustainability, and bolster the country’s decarbonization efforts aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2070.
