New Delhi: The Department of Science and Technology strengthened India–Netherlands green hydrogen cooperation on Thursday by launching a new fellowship programme and enabling an academic partnership.
DST launched the India–Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme and released its scheme guidelines. It also issued a call for proposals the same day. The initiative is open to eligible Indian doctoral, postdoctoral and faculty applicants.
Meanwhile, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, launched the programme in New Delhi. He did so in the presence of Mr. Huib Mijnarends, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India. Prof. Karandikar said focused international collaboration was vital for advancing hydrogen technologies. He added that capacity building was key for deployment in hard-to-abate sectors.
Similarly, Mr. Mijnarends highlighted the alignment between India and the Netherlands on hydrogen development. He underlined shared goals on energy transition. Prof. Dr. Jouke de Vries, President of the University of Groningen, stressed the value of long-term academic partnerships. He said such ties were essential to address global energy challenges.
Fellowship and MoU advance India–Netherlands green hydrogen research
The fellowship programme aims to improve India’s readiness in hydrogen deployment. Therefore, it offers structured exposure to advanced hydrogen ecosystems in the Netherlands. It focuses on system integration, safety and techno-economic analysis. In addition, it covers life-cycle assessment and indigenisation pathways.
DST also hosted the signing of an institution-to-institution MoU between the University of Groningen and 19 IITs. The agreement creates a framework for long-term academic cooperation. It supports faculty exchange, student mobility and joint research. However, it does not involve automatic financial commitments.
Moreover, officials said the engagement reflected a shared commitment to deployment-oriented innovation. The initiatives align with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission. They also support Energy Independence 2047 and Net-Zero 2070 goals.
Senior officials attended the event. These included Professor Dhirendra S. Katti, Director IIT Goa, and Prof. Venkappayya R. Desai, Director IIT Dharwad. Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of the CEST Division at DST, was also present. Dr. Ranjith Krishna Pai, Senior Director at CEST, attended as well.
DST said the initiatives marked a significant step in strengthening human capital. They also deepened Indo-Dutch collaboration in the emerging global hydrogen economy.
