India has taken another step towards advancing green hydrogen-based mobility with the launch of a pilot project to test Toyota’s Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle under real-world Indian conditions. The initiative was launched on Thursday by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, who described it as a key milestone in promoting clean transport solutions.

As part of the project, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has handed over the Mirai to the National Institute of Solar Energy, which will conduct two years of field trials. During this period, the institute will evaluate the vehicle’s performance across diverse Indian terrains, climatic conditions and traffic environments. The results are expected to inform future policy decisions, industry deployment and the scaling up of hydrogen-based mobility.

Joshi said green hydrogen is emerging as a critical pillar of global clean energy systems and will play a central role in India’s long-term energy transition. He added that the induction of the Mirai reflects growing collaboration between the government, research institutions and industry to advance fuel cell technologies, noting that hydrogen vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, releasing only water vapour.

Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik said the pilot marks India’s shift from policy formulation to on-ground experimentation under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. He added that technology trials such as this would support efforts to commercialise hydrogen transport solutions and improve urban air quality.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor said the initiative reinforces its commitment to India’s hydrogen mission and its broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions. Senior officials from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the National Institute of Solar Energy were present at the launch event.

Following the inauguration, Joshi drove the Mirai to Parliament, describing the green-certified complex as an apt venue to demonstrate emerging clean mobility technologies.

The Toyota Mirai is a second-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that generates electricity onboard through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only water vapour. The model has an estimated driving range of around 650 kilometres and can be refuelled in less than five minutes.