Green hydrogen:
India's next industrial revolution —
and Germany's opportunity.

India's green hydrogen mission has made the leap from theory to practice.

• From paper to project—SIGHT funding programmes for production and electrolyser manufacturing, green hydrogen hubs, mandatory consumption quotas in refineries and fertiliser plants — the first capacities are in operation.
• Competition between the states—Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra compete with their own funding packages, land allocations and hydrogen policies.
• Twofold ambition—Decarbonising its own heavy industry (refineries, fertilisers, steel) and building itself up as a global export hub for green hydrogen and green ammonia — including to Germany.

Germany and India are natural partners in this market.

Germany will have to import 50–70 % of its future hydrogen demand; India aims to become a low-cost exporter. The German-Indian roadmap for green hydrogen (2024) commits both countries to a joint market ramp-up, regulatory alignment and technology cooperation. Concrete opportunities for the German Mittelstand:

• Electrolyser technology and components—German engineering quality is in demand; participation in SIGHT funding tenders is possible.
• Plant engineering (balance of plant)—compressors, valves, pumps, storage systems, safety, testing and measurement technology.
• Engineering, certification, quality assurance—Indian projects are looking for European standards on their way into export markets.
• Technology licensing and joint ventures—Indian partners are looking for German technology through licensing or JV structures rather than pure imports.
• Green ammonia and derivatives—export-oriented projects need proven process engineering.

Those who enter early gain more than revenue: long-term supply relationships, local partnerships — and a position in a market that will help shape global hydrogen pricing.

India is not a market for opportunistic market entry. Success requires:

• Legal structure—the right corporate and contractual structure from the outset.
• Local partner—careful due diligence instead of quick commitments.
• Realistic pricing—calculated for a price-sensitive, highly competitive market.
• Patient relationship-building—with private players as well as with state institutions.
• Safeguards—Payment security and IP protection belong in every agreement from day one.

This is precisely where DE.INDI.GO comes in.

We are already active in the Indo-German hydrogen corridor — not as observers, but as practitioners.

• Founder & network—Markus Hoffmann-von Wolffersdorff has been working on Indo-German business relations since 2003 — co-editor of the Business Guide Indien, chairman of GIRT Sachsen.
• Indo-German Energy Forum—co-lead of the Green Hydrogen sub-working group — at the interface of policy and technology.
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  In this role he has co-chaired sessions on regulatory compliance in the commissioning of green hydrogen projects in India — approval procedures, safety standards and the legal differences between green and grey hydrogen. This gives DE.INDI.GO direct access to Indian regulatory authorities and German energy policy networks that purely commercial consultants rarely have.

• HZwo: INDIA-Start—named partner in the BMZ-funded initiative; presentation at the 2nd HZwo India Summit in Chemnitz (April 2026).
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  The initiative connects the Saxon hydrogen industry cluster with India. Presentation topic in Chemnitz: best practices in Indo-German cooperation.

• Pune delegation 2026—support for the German hydrogen industry delegation to Pune (February 2026) and its follow-up, including the return visit of the Indian Pune delegation to Germany (April 2026) as part of HZwo: INDIA-Start.
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  Presence in Pune as well as in Chemnitz has created direct personal relationships with the leadership of the Pune Hydrogen Valley on the Indian side and with the HZwo member companies on the German side — a bridging position that connects both ends of the Indo-German hydrogen corridor.

• Advisory practice—the team advises Indian companies in the green hydrogen sector on cooperation with German partners — incl. technology licensing with Fraunhofer research.
• Range of services—the entire market entry process: partner identification, JV and licensing structures, incorporation, payment and IP safeguards, setting up a production site, interim management.