Presenting the Road Map Shri Ratan Tata said that it would provide a clean, reliable, sustainable and alternative energy source for our growing energy needs. He said that India could provide the Road Map for other countries also in this area.

The Road Map prepared by the Steering Group on Hydrogen Energy has discussed in depth different aspects of Hydrogen energy which include production, storage, transport, delivery, applications, safety, standards and codes, capacity building and awareness. The Road Map has highlighted hydrogen production as a key area of focus in addition to existing methods of hydrogen production based on steam methane reformation, production of hydrogen from coal gasification, nuclear energy, biomass, biological and renewable energy methods needs to be developed urgently. In the area of hydrogen storage which include gaseous, liquid and solid state storage, various goals concerning efficiency of storage, useful cycle life, compactness and cost etc. to be achieved by 2020 have been identified in the Road Map. The Road Map has proposed two major initiatives: namely, Green initiative for Future Transport (GIFT) and Green initiative for Power Generation (GIP). The Green initiative for Future Transport aims to develop and demonstrate hydrogen powered IC engine and fuel cell based vehicles ranging from small two/three wheelers cars/taxis, buses & vans through different phases of development. It is envisaged that if the National Hydrogen Energy Road Map is implemented as proposed, one million hydrogen fuelled vehicles would be on Indian Roads by 2020. The Green initiative for Power Generation envisages developing and demonstrating hydrogen powered IC engine/turbine and fuel cell based decentralized power generating systems. It is envisaged in the Road Map that decentralized hydrogen based power generation of about 1,000 MW aggregate capacity would be set up in the country by 2020.

The Road Map has projected an estimated investment of about Rs. 25,000 crore would be required, of which about Rs. 1,000 crore would be for research, development and demonstration and about Rs. 24,000 crore for creating infrastructure for hydrogen production, its storage, transportation and distribution for meeting requirements of hydrogen under GIFT and GIP initiatives. The Road Map has recommended strong public private partnership covering the total hydrogen energy system for the implementation of its proposals.

The Steering Group under the Chairmanship of Shri Ratan N. Tata was constituted on 23rd February, 2004 during the first meeting of the National Hydrogen Energy Board.