Hyundai unveils design for HTWO Innovation Centre at IIT Madras

 CHENNAI 

Hyundai M
otor India Ltd (HMIL), in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the Tamil Nadu government, has unveiled the design of its ₹180 crore HTWO Innovation Centre—an advanced R&D facility focused on green hydrogen technologies. The centre, located at IIT Madras’ Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, near Chennai, is expected to be fully operational within two years.

The announcement follows Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s foundation stone-laying ceremony earlier this year, reinforcing Tamil Nadu’s strategic push into clean energy innovation.

Spanning 65,000 sq. ft., the centre will house cutting-edge laboratories, digital twin infrastructure, and custom test rigs for electrolysers and fuel cells. Of the total ₹180 crore outlay, ₹100 crore is being directly committed by HMIL, with additional support from its CSR arm, the Hyundai Motor India Foundation.

“This initiative is a key step towards achieving carbon neutrality,” said Unsoo Kim, managing director of HMIL. “The HTWO Innovation Centre will catalyse collaboration between Hyundai’s global hydrogen expertise and India’s growing green hydrogen ecosystem.”

“HTWO” is derived from Hyundai’s global hydrogen brand, symbolising a full-spectrum approach across the hydrogen value chain—from production and storage to distribution and end-use applications.

Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa, who unveiled the design, called the centre “a crucial step towards indigenous hydrogen production.” He also revealed plans for Tamil Nadu to become one of the first Indian states to export hydrogen, with supplies from Thoothukudi headed to Singapore-based Sembcorp and subsequently to Japan. “Tamil Nadu has the talent and momentum to emerge as Asia’s R&D capital,” he added. He also highlighted the need to make Tamil Nadu a product nation.

The centre will explore waste-to-hydrogen systems adapted from South Korea to Indian conditions, aiming to generate hydrogen from organic waste as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti outlined plans to set up hydrogen refuelling stations using fully indigenous technology. “Our goal is to use biodegradable biowaste and biomolecules to produce green hydrogen through rigorous scientific research,” he said. A pilot demonstration, featuring a hydrogen-powered vehicle journey from Chennai to Kanyakumari, is planned over the next two years.

Initial studies suggest hydrogen-fuelled vehicles could travel 20 to 25 km per kilogram of hydrogen. While current costs stand at around $5/kg, researchers are targeting a drop to $2/kg to make hydrogen mobility commercially viable.

The centre aligns with both national and state-level ambitions under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and marks a convergence of industrial, academic, and policy collaboration. It is also expected to benefit rural economies by enabling green hydrogen production from agricultural residues, offering new income opportunities for farmers.