NEW DELHI — The Indo-German Energy Forum marked 20 years of energy cooperation between India and Germany with an anniversary evening at the German Embassy in New Delhi, the embassy said in a press release. The German ministry framed green hydrogen as the forum’s next frontier.
Two decades of Indo-German energy cooperation
German Ambassador Jasper Wieck recalled that the forum was established in 2006 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hannover Trade Fair. The forum is anchored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and India’s Ministry of Power. Its annual steering body is co-chaired at the secretary level.
Five subgroups shape the agenda: flexibilization of existing thermal power plants, renewable energies, energy efficiency, green energy financing and grid integration, and green hydrogen.
The Green Hydrogen Roadmap
The two governments launched the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap at the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations on Oct. 25, 2024. The roadmap drew on input from the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Force, which the forum supported.
Gunther Grathwohl, head of the division for international hydrogen ramp-up at BMWE, delivered a special address. Green hydrogen, he said, is “the natural next frontier for the Indo-German Energy Forum.”
Wieck said the forum “has become a true success story.” He cited its work helping India’s power plants integrate more renewable energy, along with energy efficiency, battery storage and green hydrogen.
Priorities for the next phase
A fireside chat moderated by Hari Natrajan featured three industry participants: JT Verghese, former chairman of STEAG Energy Services India; Vivek Saraf, founder and chief executive of SunSeed APV; and Rashi Gupta, director of Vision Mechatronics Private Limited.
Panelists emphasized three priorities for the next phase: institutional IP-sharing frameworks, domestic testing infrastructure, and scalable commercial business models to secure mutual energy independence.
The event brought together senior government officials from both countries, industry leaders, and former IGEF co-chairs.
