India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Launches with 19 IIT Partnership
India's DST launched a hydrogen research fellowship with 19 IITs and the University of Groningen. The programme targets deployment-ready skills: system integration, safety, techno-economic analysis, and LCA.
India's Department of Science and Technology launched the India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme on February 6, 2026, alongside a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Groningen and 19 Indian Institutes of Technology.
Programme Scope
The fellowship accepts applications from Indian doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty. The focus is practical deployment, not pure research:
- System integration
- Safety frameworks
- Techno-economic analysis
- Life-cycle assessment (LCA)
- Indigenisation pathways
Application deadline: March 6, 2026.
Why the Netherlands
The Netherlands brings real-world hydrogen infrastructure experience. Rotterdam is building Europe's largest hydrogen hub. University of Groningen has deep hydrogen research capabilities. Indian researchers gain exposure to scaling challenges that India's ecosystem will face in 2027-2029.
The 19-IIT scope signals national-level institutional commitment, not a pilot programme.
The Institutional MoU
The University of Groningen-IIT MoU enables:
- Faculty and student exchange
- Joint research programmes
- Knowledge sharing across hydrogen domains
Key detail: no automatic financial commitments from either side. This is an enabling framework — institutions can move at their own pace.
Talent Pipeline and Market Implications
Fellowship programmes create talent pipelines. Researchers spending 2-3 years deep in hydrogen technology will enter India's hydrogen industry and shape technical standards.
The European alignment is strategic. Researchers trained under this fellowship will become familiar with RFNBO compliance, JCM coordination, and European technical standards. When they move into industry, they will need tools built for European frameworks integrated with Indian regulatory requirements.
The fellowship aligns with India's National Green Hydrogen Mission (5 MMT by 2030), Energy Independence 2047, and Net-Zero 2070 targets. Expect 50-60 researchers to flow through the programme over the next 5 years, with their research outputs informing India's hydrogen technical standards.
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