Dr Sibimol Luke, UCL and UK-HyRES ECR chair, recently participated in the inaugural meeting of the UK India Low Carbon Technology Group, convened by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) in London.
The new industry forum aims to accelerate collaboration between UK and Indian organisations in areas including green hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and other low-carbon technologies.
The meeting brought together leaders from industry, government, trade organisations, and academia to explore opportunities for strengthening the UK–India partnership in the transition to net zero. Discussions highlighted the growing momentum behind hydrogen and low-carbon technology development in both countries.
The timing of the forum is particularly significant. India continues to advance its National Green Hydrogen Mission, which targets annual green hydrogen production of 5 million tonnes by 2030, while also committing substantial investment towards CCUS deployment. At the same time, the UK is strengthening its hydrogen ambitions through its expertise in electrolyser technologies, offshore energy systems, industrial decarbonisation, and clean energy innovation.
UK-HyRES was represented alongside colleagues from The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER) at UCL, contributing academic perspectives to discussions on future collaboration. Conversations emphasised the complementary strengths of the UK and India in driving the low-carbon transition. The UK offers internationally recognised capabilities in research, innovation, systems integration, and policy development, while India brings strengths in renewable energy deployment, engineering expertise, manufacturing capacity, and the scale required to accelerate commercialisation and demonstration of clean technologies.
A key theme emerging from the meeting was the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to address the challenges associated with scaling hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies. Participants explored how the new UK India Low Carbon Technology Group could support knowledge exchange, investment opportunities, business partnerships, and joint innovation activities that align with the net-zero ambitions of both countries.
The meeting featured contributions from several prominent speakers, including Dr Kishore Jayaraman OBE, Group CEO of UKIBC; Dr R.K. Malhotra, President of the Hydrogen Association of India; Dr Emma Guthrie, CEO of the UK Hydrogen Energy Association; and Simon Payne, Head of International Bilateral & Capability at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The establishment of the UK India Low Carbon Technology Group represents an important step towards building stronger international partnerships in hydrogen and clean energy. UK-HyRES welcomes opportunities to engage with such initiatives and looks forward to supporting future collaborations that advance innovation, industrial decarbonisation, and the development of sustainable energy systems in both countries.