India has taken another step toward accelerating green hydrogen–based mobility with the launch of a pilot project to test Toyota’s Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) under real-world Indian conditions. The initiative was launched on Thursday by Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, who described it as a key milestone in advancing clean transport solutions.
As part of the project, Toyota Kirloskar Motor handed over the Mirai FCEV to the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). The vehicle will undergo two years of field trials, during which NISE will assess its performance across varied Indian terrains, weather conditions, and traffic environments. The findings will help guide future policy, industry deployment and scaling of hydrogen mobility.
Joshi said green hydrogen is emerging as a major component of global clean energy systems and will play a central role in India’s long-term energy strategy. He added that the Mirai’s induction marks growing collaboration between government, research institutions and industry in advancing fuel cell technologies. The Minister highlighted that hydrogen vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, releasing only water.
Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik said the pilot reflects India’s transition from policy announcements to on-ground experimentation under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. He said technology trials such as these will support the broader goal of commercialising hydrogen-based transport and improving urban air quality.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor said the partnership reinforces its support for India’s hydrogen mission and its efforts toward net-zero emissions. Senior officials from the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and NISE were present at the event.
Following the launch, Joshi drove the Mirai to Parliament, calling the green-certified building an appropriate setting to showcase emerging clean mobility solutions.
The Toyota Mirai is a second-generation hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that generates electricity onboard through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only water vapour. It has an estimated driving range of around 650 km and can be refuelled in under five minutes.
