New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) India is steadily positioning itself as a global player in the clean energy landscape through a calibrated mix of policy support, technological innovation, and industry participation, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

The minister said the country is simultaneously advancing green hydrogen, expanding nuclear energy capacity, and strengthening renewable sources, while building indigenous capabilities in critical technologies such as electrolysers.

He was addressing the World Hydrogen Energy Summit alongside the World Petrocoal Congress here.

The minister said India’s approach is focused on creating a robust and self-reliant ecosystem supported by enhanced research funding and innovation-led growth.

The country is pursuing a multi-dimensional strategy that combines energy security with sustainability.

Dr Singh said India is targeting nearly $100 billion in oil and gas investments, expansion of exploration areas to 1 million square kilometres, and increasing the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15 per cent.

Notably, India’s refining capacity continues to expand, placing it among leading nations globally.

On clean energy transition, Dr Singh said the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore, has placed India among the frontrunners in developing alternative fuel ecosystems.

He said green hydrogen will play a key role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement, while efforts are underway to reduce production costs through domestic manufacturing and innovation.

The minister also shared progress in India’s nuclear energy programme, stating that the recently announced Nuclear Energy Mission aims to achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.

He said India has entered the next phase of its nuclear programme with indigenous technological advancements, placing it among a select group of nations.

India plans to develop five Small Modular/Small Reactors by 2033, with work already underway on three of them, he mentioned.

These include a Bharat Small Modular Reactor (SMR), a Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) based on established heavy water technology, and a small-scale hydrogen-linked reactor of a few megawatts’ capacity. He said such reactors will enable flexible, scalable, and decentralised clean energy solutions, while also supporting emerging hydrogen applications.

–IANS

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