Avaada Group, GRIDCO and IIT Bhubaneswar to Set Up Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence in Odisha

Bhubaneswar / New Delhi, December 9, 2025 — India’s green hydrogen ambitions received a fresh boost today as Avaada Group, state utility GRIDCO and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar formalized plans to create a Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence (CoE) in Odisha. The new center will act as a dedicated hub for research, innovation and technology development across the green hydrogen value chain. ^[1]

The move comes under the umbrella of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) and aligns with the Odisha Renewable Energy Policy 2022, which aims to position the coastal state as a major clean‑energy and green fuels hub. ^[2]

What the Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence Will Focus On

According to announcements and company statements published between 8–9 December, the proposed Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence in Odisha will have a broad mandate: ^[3]

End‑to‑end green hydrogen research: The CoE will study production, storage, transport and utilization of green hydrogen and its derivatives, with an emphasis on real‑world deployment rather than just lab‑scale experiments.
Application-focused R&D: Priority themes include energy storage, industrial decarbonization (such as steel, chemicals and fertilizers) and clean mobility, including heavy transport — all sectors that are difficult to electrify directly. ^[4]
Techno-economic analysis: Beyond demonstrating technology, the center will examine cost curves, business models and bankability of emerging hydrogen technologies, helping policymakers and investors identify commercially viable pathways. ^[5]

The center is expected to become part of a network of hydrogen R&D hubs being developed under the NGHM. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has earmarked around ₹400 crore specifically for research and development activities, including Centers of Excellence, to accelerate India’s hydrogen innovation ecosystem. ^[6]

Roles of Avaada Group, GRIDCO and IIT Bhubaneswar

The collaboration is carefully structured so that industry, academia and the state play complementary roles.

Avaada Group: Industry anchor and R&D extension site

Avaada Group, a diversified clean‑energy conglomerate with businesses spanning solar, wind, battery storage and green fuels, will be the industry anchor for the CoE. ^[7]

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): ^[8]

Avaada will set up a dedicated extension facility of the CoE within its production complex in Odisha.
This extension facility will house specialized technical teams, pilot‑scale equipment and testing infrastructure tailored to hydrogen and green fuel applications.
The company will co‑fund and support selected research projects originating from the CoE, helping promising ideas move from lab to demonstration and, eventually, commercialization.

The partnership also builds on Avaada’s growing green fuel footprint in Odisha. The company is already developing a 1,500 tonnes-per-day green ammonia plant in Gopalpur in collaboration with technology partner Casale, and plans to invest about $2.28 billion in renewable and green fuels projects in the state, positioning Odisha as a strategic hub in its “sand-to-molecule” strategy. ^[9]

GRIDCO: Implementing agency and policy bridge

GRIDCO, the Grid Corporation of Odisha and the state’s bulk power supplier, will act as the implementing agency for the CoE. ^[10]

Its responsibilities include:

Coordinating with MNRE and the Government of Odisha to secure funding and align the CoE with national and state-level programmes.
Ensuring that research outputs feed into Odisha’s renewable‑energy planning, grid integration strategies and future hydrogen corridors.
Interfacing with other national hydrogen initiatives so the Odisha CoE does not operate in isolation, but as part of a broader Indian hydrogen ecosystem.

GRIDCO is already central to several renewable‑energy and hydrogen initiatives in the state, and its role here is seen as vital to bridging policy, regulation and project execution. ^[11]

IIT Bhubaneswar: Academic host and talent pipeline

IIT Bhubaneswar will serve as the host institution and academic partner for the center. Under the MoU: ^[12]

The institute will provide land, laboratories and institutional infrastructure for the core CoE.
Faculty and research teams will lead projects on materials, electrolysers, storage systems, safety and end‑use technologies.
The CoE is expected to train the next generation of hydrogen scientists and engineers through specialized graduate programs, internships and industry-linked projects.

Oversight of the center will remain with the Principal Secretary of Odisha’s Energy Department, underlining its strategic importance for the state’s energy transition. ^[13]

Linked to Global Energy Leaders Summit and NTU–Odisha Research Pact

The MoU for the Green Hydrogen CoE is closely tied to a broader set of clean‑energy collaborations announced in Odisha over the past week.

At the Global Energy Leaders Summit (GELS) 2025 in Puri, policymakers released a Draft Puri Declaration and facilitated four knowledge-partnership MoUs to support renewable pilots, joint project development across Odisha and a dedicated Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence. ^[14]

In parallel, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, GRIDCO and IIT Bhubaneswar signed a five‑year Research Collaboration Agreement on 7 December to test‑bed sustainable energy technologies in Odisha. The programme, backed by roughly S$10 million (about ₹70 crore) from the state’s Energy Department via GRIDCO, will cover clean energy, future grid technologies and sustainability solutions, and builds on an MoU first signed in January 2025. ^[15]

Taken together, these initiatives suggest Odisha is building a multi‑layered innovation ecosystem :

International academic partnerships (NTU).
State‑run implementing agencies (GRIDCO).
Leading Indian institutions (IIT Bhubaneswar).
Industrial champions (Avaada and other developers).

The Green Hydrogen CoE announced with Avaada fits directly into this architecture as a specialized hub focused on hydrogen and green fuels. ^[16]

Why Odisha? From Ports to Policy

Odisha’s prominence in India’s hydrogen map is not accidental. Several structural advantages make the state a natural candidate for a flagship Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence:

Strong renewable resource base and industrial demand
- The state has significant solar and wind potential, plus an energy‑intensive industrial base in steel, metals, fertilizers and chemicals — precisely the sectors green hydrogen is meant to decarbonize. ^[17]
Port infrastructure and green ammonia export prospects
- Projects like Avaada’s upcoming green ammonia facility in Gopalpur, along with other green hydrogen / ammonia investments in the region, are positioning Odisha’s ports as export gateways for green fuels. ^[18]
Supportive policy framework
- The Odisha Renewable Energy Policy 2022 explicitly aims to accelerate investment in renewables and associated green‑fuel industries to ensure energy security, socio‑economic growth and environmental protection. Hydrogen and green ammonia are highlighted as key sectors. ^[19]
Access to finance and national programs
- India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission is targeting 5–10 million tonnes of annual hydrogen production by 2030, backed by large public‑sector and private capital commitments. Odisha’s hydrogen‑ready industrial zones and port infrastructure make it well placed to attract a share of this investment. ^[20]

The Center of Excellence, therefore, is not a standalone academic project but a strategic piece of infrastructure designed to plug into ongoing manufacturing, export and investment plans in the state.

What the CoE Could Mean for India’s Green Hydrogen Journey

While detailed timelines and budgets for the Avaada–GRIDCO–IIT Bhubaneswar CoE have not yet been made public, its potential impact can be understood across several dimensions:

1. Faster technology validation and cost discovery

By focusing on techno-economic viability and real-world pilots, the CoE can help answer critical questions:

Which electrolyser technologies are best suited to Indian grid conditions?
How can green hydrogen be integrated into existing industrial processes in a cost‑effective way?
What storage and transport solutions make most sense for an export‑oriented coastal state like Odisha?

Answers to these questions will be vital as India moves from announcements to large‑scale offtake agreements and long‑term contracts in steel, fertilizers, mobility and power. ^[21]

2. Stronger industry–academia bridge

The MoU explicitly links Avaada’s commercial projects with IIT Bhubaneswar’s research capabilities, backed by GRIDCO’s policy and implementation role. This tri‑partite structure is designed to: ^[22]

Reduce the time it takes to translate lab‑scale breakthroughs into field demonstrations.
Ensure academic research is informed by real industry pain points, from reliability to safety and operations.
Create a skilled talent pipeline that is already familiar with industrial‑grade hydrogen systems.

3. Local jobs and capability building

Avaada’s existing green fuel projects in Odisha are already projected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, including in manufacturing, construction and port services. ^[23]

While the CoE itself will be smaller in headcount than a major industrial plant, it is expected to have a multiplier effect by:

Training specialized engineers and technicians in hydrogen technologies.
Supporting start‑ups and spin‑offs focused on components, safety systems, digital twins and analytics for hydrogen infrastructure.
Attracting ancillary investments in testing, certification and engineering services.

4. Helping India compete in the global hydrogen race

Globally, countries are racing to build green hydrogen hubs and export capacity. India has signaled its intent through NGHM funding, production incentives and international partnerships. Odisha’s Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence, embedded within a broader cluster of green ammonia projects and port infrastructure, could become one of the key nodes that helps India: ^[24]

Lower technology costs via scale and indigenous innovation.
Develop solutions tailored to emerging‑market realities rather than copying high‑cost models from elsewhere.
Build credibility with global offtakers seeking long‑term, low‑carbon fuel supply contracts.

What to Watch Next

As of 9 December 2025, several aspects of the Avaada–GRIDCO–IIT Bhubaneswar Green Hydrogen CoE are still evolving. Key developments to track in the coming months include: ^[25]

Formal approvals and detailed funding allocations under national and state schemes.
Announcement of the CoE’s first R&D roadmap — likely to include flagship projects on industrial fuel‑switching, mobility pilots and storage technologies.
Progress on complementary initiatives, such as NTU’s five‑year research program with GRIDCO and IIT Bhubaneswar, and the build‑out of green ammonia and hydrogen infrastructure in Gopalpur and other industrial zones.