Hydrogen Buses India: NTPC Launches First Commercial Fuel Cell Fleet in Leh, Ladakh

Back in June 2025, we saw an exciting collaboration: NTPC Limited, the UT Administration of Ladakh and SIDCO joined forces to roll out India’s very first commercial hydrogen fuel cell buses. They’re totally in sync with India’s decarbonization goals. Picture this: five buses running purely on green hydrogen, thanks to a 1.7 MW solar plant, zipping around Leh at a whopping 3,650 meters above sea level. It’s a bold move to set a global standard for zero-emission transport in some of the toughest, high-altitude terrain out there.

Project Launch and Core Goals

On June 18, 2025, the curtain went up on what’s now known as the NTPC Leh project. The mission? Harness on-site solar power to generate green hydrogen, fuel a small fleet, and hand out a playbook anyone can copy. The concept’s deceptively simple: split water into hydrogen and oxygen, stash the H₂, then drive buses that breathe out only water vapor. Better yet, it tackles real-world headaches—like how battery-electric buses lose range in frigid temps—while pushing Ladakh’s carbon-neutral vision and India’s broader net-zero targets.

The Technology: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses and Green Hydrogen

At the heart of these vehicles, the hydrogen fuel cell buses use onboard electrolyzers to mix stored hydrogen with oxygen from the air, generating electricity for an electric drivetrain. Zero CO₂, just H₂O. Meanwhile, the 1.7 MW solar array keeps an on-site green hydrogen generation setup humming—splitting water molecules, storing H₂, repeat. It’s a neat closed-loop system, proudly made in India, made for India’s future.

Solving Real-World Problems in Harsh Climates

If you’ve ever tried to run an electric bus at 3,650 meters, you know how thin air and sub-zero temps can sap range fast. Enter high-altitude hydrogen. These buses shrugged off the chill, cruising narrow mountain roads without missing a beat. Early trials had all five fleets keeping up strong performances on frigid mornings and winding passes. Leveraging Leh’s endless sunshine and some clever engineering, they proved that green hydrogen mobility isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a game-changer where others struggle.

Environmental and Local Economic Benefits

But it’s not just about cleaner skies. This rollout is set to cut roughly 350 metric tonnes of CO₂ every year—and spit out about 230 metric tonnes of oxygen, akin to planting 13,000 trees annually. Economically, SIDCO will steer daily operations, sparking fresh jobs in operations, maintenance and training. Plus, it’s turbocharging local supply chains for everything from electrolyzers to storage tanks.

Made in India, Made for India’s Future

What really puts a smile on your face? Everything here’s homegrown. By tapping Indian R&D and manufacturing muscle, they’re trimming costs and speeding up deployment. Partnering with local outfits for solar panels, electrolyzers and fuel cell modules, NTPC Limited and its allies are stitching together a green hydrogen ecosystem from scratch. This local-first play beefs up energy security and paves the way for similar remote or mountainous projects coast to coast.

Looking Ahead: Replication and Scaling

With the proof-of-concept box ticked, everyone’s eyeing the next steps. The partners are charting how to drop this model into different climate zones and cities. NTPC Limited plans to weave hydrogen buses India-wide into its renewables portfolio, eyeing a bold target of 60 GW of renewable capacity by 2032. On the ground, the UT Administration of Ladakh and SIDCO will keep refining benchmarks and even explore mixed fleets that combine fuel cell and battery-electric buses.

At the end of the day, this collaboration sits perfectly under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission umbrella. It’s an upbeat showcase of how clean tech can brighten everyday life, protect fragile mountain ecosystems, and spark new economic opportunities—proving that sustainable innovation and real-world solutions go hand in hand.