Indigenous technological capability is central to India's green energy transition. Discuss with examples from the transport sector.

Q. Indigenous technological capability is central to India's green energy transition. Discuss with examples from the transport sector. (15 marks, 250 words)

Transport accounts for a large share of India's fossil-fuel demand and emissions. Building this capability at home—rather than importing green technology—is decisive for affordability, energy security and the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision underpinning India's net-zero-by-2070 pledge.

Why indigenous capability is central - Energy security: domestic green-tech cuts crude imports; the National Green Hydrogen Mission targets ~₹1 lakh crore of import substitution and ~50 MMT/annum CO₂ cut by 2030 [1]. - Cost & scale: local manufacturing lowers unit costs and enables mass deployment, backed by the SIGHT programme's electrolyser incentives (₹19,744 crore outlay, FY24–30) [1]. - Strategic autonomy: control over IP positions India as a green-hydrogen export hub, not a technology importer [1].

Transport-sector examples - India's first indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell train (10-car, 2×1200 kW), launched on the Jind–Sonipat section, emits only water vapour; part of "Hydrogen for Heritage" (35 trains) [2]. - Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis at an indigenous Jind plant—India's largest railway H₂ refuelling facility [2]. - Complementary rollouts: the KPIT-CSIR hydrogen bus (Pune) and a hydrogen passenger vessel at Varanasi [2].

Challenges - High electrolyser and fuel-cell costs, hydrogen storage/safety hurdles, and pilot-scale (75 kmph, short routes) deployment still short of commercial maturity [2].

Indigenous innovation, when coupled with policy support like NGHM, converts imported dependence into home-grown capability. Sustaining R&D, private participation and skilling can scale these pilots into a decarbonised transport backbone—advancing both Panchamrit commitments and SDG-7 (affordable clean energy).

(~248 words)

Sources: 1. Cabinet approves National Green Hydrogen Mission (PMO, 2023) — ₹19,744 cr outlay, SIGHT, import-substitution and CO₂-reduction targets 2. India's First Hydrogen-Powered Train: Advancing Green Rail Mobility (PIB, 2026) — Jind–Sonipat trainset specs, electrolysis plant, Hydrogen for Heritage, bus/vessel demonstrations