Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), in collaboration with IIT Madras and Guidance Tamil Nadu, has unveiled the design of the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre — a cutting-edge R&D hub dedicated to advancing green hydrogen technology and its ecosystem. The design was officially revealed by Thiru T.R.B. Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu. Supported by the state government, the centre will be located at the Discovery Satellite Campus of IIT Madras in Thaiyur, Chennai, and aims to become a key driver of hydrogen innovation in India.
This milestone marks the next phase in HMIL’s INR 100 Crore commitment to pioneering green hydrogen innovation in India. This funding made by HMIL partially through Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) as part of its CSR initiatives, underscores Hyundai’s dedication to advancing clean energy and fostering sustainable innovation in India.
IIT Madras will house this Centre, spread across a sprawling 65,000 sq. ft. area at its Discovery Campus at Thaiyur, featuring advanced computational and experimental laboratories. The development of digital twins of hydrogen infrastructure, along with customized test rigs and fabrication lines, will contribute to the pilot-level evaluation of electrolyzers and fuel cells. It will also host test zones for containerised pilot demonstrators for industrial-scale products.
Speaking at the design unveil ceremony, Thiru. T.R.B. Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce – Government of Tamil Nadu, said, “What Hyundai Motor India and IIT Madras’ efforts bring to my mind is the amazing capabilities of India and we are here to celebrate just that. The possibilities that are here in this amazing place and the possibilities that the rest of the world is only now looking up. The Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is a crucial step towards indigenous hydrogen production.”
Mr. Unsoo Kim, Managing Director – Hyundai Motor India Limited, added, “At Hyundai, we believe hydrogen is a key pillar in achieving global carbon neutrality. With the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre, we aim to foster an open platform for knowledge exchange by facilitating collaboration between global expertise and the local green hydrogen ecosystem. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to ‘Make in India’ by empowering local innovation, nurturing talent, and supporting the development of scalable, affordable, and sustainable hydrogen solutions. Our collaboration with IIT Madras and the Government of Tamil Nadu reflects our long-term vision of advancing India’s clean energy future and establishing a strong foundation for a hydrogen-powered tomorrow.”
Highlighting the role of the Institute in this project, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director – IIT Madras, said, “This Centre will work with all the stakeholders of the hydrogen sector at the global level including academia, national R&D laboratories, industries and policymakers. This will make India Atmanirbhar Bharat in the hydrogen sector. It will greatly contribute to sustainability and provide a boost to the nation’s decarbonization initiatives that target Net Zero by 2070. This Centre can accelerate the efforts to achieve these targets.”
Aligned with the Government of India’s vision of energy independence by 2047, the facility will also drive R&D and demonstration activities to accelerate readiness and adoption across the green hydrogen value chain, making the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre a national hub for cost-effective, scalable hydrogen innovation.
The occasion was further graced by the presence of esteemed guests including Mr. Chang-nyun Kim, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chennai; Mr. Gopalakrishnan CS, Whole-time Director & Chief Manufacturing Officer – HMIL; Mr. JW Ryu, Function Head – HMIL; Dr. Ashish Lele, Director – CSIR National Chemical Laboratory, Pune; Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (ACR) – IIT Madras; and Project Principal Investigator Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering – IIT Madras; along with other key stakeholders from government, academia and industry.
Building on Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen brand and business platform – HTWO, the Centre is envisioned as a hub for industrial-scale hydrogen research and innovation. Leveraging HTWO’s comprehensive expertise across the entire hydrogen value chain – from production and storage to application – as well as its role as an open platform for collaboration, investment and partnership, the facility will focus on advancing hydrogen solutions in the mobility and power sectors. With a strong emphasis on localisation of the hydrogen value chain, pilot infrastructure development, and public-private collaboration, the Centre aims to accelerate the growth of a viable hydrogen economy.
Beyond R&D, the facility is expected to play a critical role in developing India’s skilled hydrogen workforce and supporting Government of India’s vision of building an Atmanirbhar & Viksit Bharat.
