The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Green Hydrogen under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy 2024. The centre will be jointly developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, and Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology (MMMUT), Gorakhpur, following approval by the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency. The Centre of Excellence will focus on research and development across the hydrogen value chain, including production, storage, transportation and utilisation. A key area of emphasis will be biomass-based hydrogen production, leveraging the region’s abundant biomass resources to enable cost-effective and sustainable hydrogen generation. The centre will also explore other emerging technologies and applications to support a comprehensive green hydrogen ecosystem. Beyond core research, the initiative will prioritise capacity building and skill development by training students, faculty and professionals from engineering colleges and technical institutes across the state. The centre will operate on a hub-and-spoke model, with IIT-BHU acting as the lead institution responsible for strategic direction, technical mentoring and academic support, while MMMUT will host major infrastructure and implementation activities. The programme also includes proposed pilot projects in hydrogen-powered mobility. These include a hydrogen-fuelled train between Varanasi and Gorakhpur in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, as well as hydrogen buses to be operated by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation along the same corridor. The pilots are intended to demonstrate real-world applications of hydrogen technology in clean mobility and logistics. In addition, the Centre of Excellence is expected to establish an incubation hub to support startups and entrepreneurs in the green hydrogen and clean energy space. It will also provide policy inputs and technical advisory support to the state government, helping guide future decisions on hydrogen production, storage, transport and utilisation as Uttar Pradesh advances its clean energy strategy.