A new era for green mobility: India’s first hydrogen buses hit Leh roads

In a landmark move towards clean and sustainable transportation, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) handed over five hydrogen fuel cell-based buses to State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO), Ladakh.

“This initiative represents the first-ever commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered buses in India, and that too at the highest altitude anywhere in the world, making it a globally significant milestone in green mobility,” an official spokesperson said.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, Bhupesh Chaudhary along with senior officials from NTPC, SIDCO, and other concerned departments.

Following the formal flag-off of the hydrogen buses, Chaudhary conducted a detailed inspection of NTPC’s Green Hydrogen Plant, including its production, storage and dispensing systems. He appreciated NTPC’s efforts in implementing such a technologically advanced project in Ladakh’s high-altitude terrain and noted its significance in furthering the vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh.

Subsequent to the flag-off, the NTPC team called on Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal and apprised him of the project’s successful implementation. Kotwal lauded NTPC’s pioneering efforts and observed that the successful operationalisation of hydrogen buses in such extreme conditions could usher in a new era of hydrogen fuel cell mobility in India. He also directed the NTPC team to document the entire experiment and operational learning, so that it may serve as a benchmark for similar initiatives in other regions of the country.

The spokesperson said, “This initiative, developed through the collaborative efforts of the UT Administration and NTPC, stands as a testament to India’s growing leadership in renewable energy innovation and represents a major leap toward sustainable public transport in ecologically sensitive and strategically vital regions.”