CHENNAI: In a major stride toward green energy innovation, the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre was officially unveiled on Tuesday at the Discovery Campus of IIT Madras in Thaiyur here.
The ambitious Research & Development hub, dedicated to green hydrogen technology, is being developed by Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) in collaboration with IIT Madras and Guidance Tamil Nadu, with strong backing from the state government.
Unveiling the design of the Centre, T R B Rajaa, State Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, lauded the initiative as a symbol of India’s rising scientific and industrial capabilities.
“The Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is a crucial step towards indigenous hydrogen production,” he said.
“Tamil Nadu has the potential to emerge not just as India’s R&D capital, but as Asia’s. With a pool of extraordinary talent and a robust educational foundation, we’re well-positioned to leapfrog into the future and solve tomorrow’s challenges,” he noted.
Rajaa also emphasised the importance of forward-thinking governance.
“Policymaking is at the heart of sustainable development. I would love to see more policy schools being established at IIT Madras to inspire a generation of changemakers who will shape the future,” he added.
Spanning 65,000 square feet, the state-of-the-art facility will house advanced computational and experimental labs to accelerate research in green hydrogen.
It will feature digital twin development for hydrogen infrastructure, bespoke test rigs, fabrication lines, and zones to trial industrial-scale hydrogen solutions.
According to IIT-M, this milestone forms part of HMIL’s Rs 100 crore commitment to green hydrogen research in India, funded in part through Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) as a CSR initiative.
The Centre aims to bolster local innovation, nurture skilled talent, and advance scalable, affordable hydrogen technologies under the umbrella of Hyundai’s global HTWO hydrogen platform, a release issued by IIT-M said.
“At Hyundai, we view hydrogen as a key pillar of carbon neutrality,” said Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, HMIL.
“The Centre will serve as an open platform for collaboration, connecting global expertise with India’s dynamic green hydrogen ecosystem. It also reaffirms our deep-rooted commitment to the ‘Make in India’ mission,” noted Kim.
V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, noted the Centre’s significance in nation-building.
“By integrating academia, industry, and policy, this hub will strengthen India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat ambitions and accelerate our path to net zero emissions by 2070,” he said.
“With its focus on localisation, public-private partnership, and workforce development, the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is set to become a national epicentre for green hydrogen innovation,” added the release.
