Davos WEF 2022 | India Set To Be A Leader In Green Hydrogen, Says Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

India is more conscious of going for the renewable energy than any other nation in the world, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday.

Special emphasis is being given on green hydrogen, biofuel blending and exploration and production of biofuel from alternative sources, he said. The minister was speaking at the breakfast session on 'Unleashing Power Of Indian Diaspora For Philanthropy, Entrepreneurship and Social Impact' organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Indiaspora.

Puri asserted that India would eventually become a leader in the green hydrogen space. The target of 20% of ethanol blending has been brought forward from 2030 to 2025 and it would be definitely achieved, he said.

Puri, also the union minister for housing and urban affairs, said that India responded quickly and effectively when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, and one of the most important decisions it took was to fast-track vaccine development and manufacturing on a war-footing.

"Whatever vaccine manufacturing capacity India had earlier, had almost got dismantled during the 2004-2014 period," Puri said, adding that he did not want to sound political on this. "While we have seen pandemics before, when this Covid-19 pandemic hit us, it was more reminiscent of Spanish Flu due to the amount of destruction it caused across the world."

Puri also talked about various transformational changes that have happened since the Narendra Modi government was elected in 2014.