Green hydrogen takes centre stage in India-Belgium partnership discussions

The discussions were part of the princely mission led by HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, accompanied by Mr. Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Minister-President of the Flemish Government Mr. Matthias Diependaele, and Minister of Defence, responsible for Foreign Trade, Mr. Theo Francken.

VITO is a leading European research center that shares extensive technical expertise as a science-to-technology partner, as well as a strategic advisor to support industries and industrial clusters in the transition to climate-friendly and competitive economies in Europe and globally. Reflecting on the India-Belgium research partnership, Mr. Jagabanta Ningthoujam, Director at RMI, emphasised the valuable insights gained from VITO's deep expertise in experimental research. "VITO has been instrumental in advancing promising research developments in India," he noted.

Mrs. Inge Neven, CEO of VITO, reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to international green energy initiatives. "VITO offers technical expertise and supports techno-economic research on hydrogen storage and transportation," she stated. "Our discussions have integrated views and competencies from European stakeholders, fostering stronger collaborations that bolster India’s green hydrogen ecosystem and contribute to a successful global clean energy transition."

As part of this fruitful visit, Flanders Investment & Trade also organised a constructive roundtable with both Indian and Belgian CEOs to discuss opportunities and challenges in building a sustainable and competitive supply chain for green molecules between India and Belgium, as well as the role of hydrogen and ports in the energy transition, presided over by Minister-President Diependaele.