India and the Netherlands on Friday took a step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation in clean energy research with the launch of the India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme and the signing of a key academic partnership between the University of Groningen and 19 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The initiatives, facilitated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), aim to boost research capacity, talent development, and deployment-oriented innovation in green hydrogen technologies, a critical pillar of India’s clean energy transition.
The Hydrogen Fellowship Programme, for which the scheme guidelines and call for proposals were released on Thursday, is a national capacity-building initiative open to eligible doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty applicants from Indian institutions. The programme will provide structured exposure to advanced hydrogen ecosystems in the Netherlands, focusing on system integration, safety, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, and pathways for indigenisation.
Launching the programme, DST Secretary Prof. Abhay Karandikar said that focused international collaboration and targeted capacity-building efforts are essential to move hydrogen technologies from research to real-world deployment, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors aligned with India’s clean energy goals.
Huib Mijnarends, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, highlighted the strong alignment between India and the Netherlands in hydrogen research and energy transition priorities. Prof. Dr. Jouke de Vries, President of the University of Groningen, underscored the importance of sustained academic partnerships in addressing global energy challenges.
In a parallel development, DST hosted the signing of an institution-to-institution Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Groningen and 19 IITs, creating a framework for long-term academic cooperation in hydrogen and green energy research. The MoU will enable faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, and knowledge sharing, while operating without automatic financial commitments.
According to the Ministry of Science & Technology, the fellowship and academic partnership are designed to ensure that research outcomes contribute directly to India’s national clean energy priorities, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission, Energy Independence by 2047, and Net-Zero emissions by 2070.
Senior officials and academics present at the event included Prof. Dhirendra S. Katti, Director, IIT Goa; Prof. Venkappayya R. Desai, Director, IIT Dharwad; Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of the CEST Division at DST; Dr. Ranjith Krishna Pai, Senior Director and Programme Officer at DST, along with representatives from other IITs.
The Ministry said that the initiatives mark a significant milestone in deepening Indo-Dutch scientific collaboration and strengthening India’s human capital for the emerging global hydrogen economy.
