Delegation trip to Pune strengthens partnership between HZwo and the Pune Hydrogen Valley – Return visit to Chemnitz planned for April
As part of the HZwo: INDIA-Start project, a delegation from the HZwo network traveled to Pune, India, in early 2026 to establish new partnerships in the field of hydrogen technologies. The mission’s goal was to connect the HZwo network with the Pune Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster (HVIC Pune) and identify concrete opportunities for cooperation across the entire hydrogen value chain. The HZwo delegation consisted of representatives from research and industry, including Dr. Gert Schlegel and Katarzyna Faruga from HZwo e.V., Thanuj Singaravelan, Markus Hoffmann-von Wolffersdorff (Wolffersdorff Commercial Services GmbH & Co KG), Carsten Pohlmann (VINUITY), Mathias Kurras (Maximator Hydrogen GmbH), Sebastian Dressel (Bright Testing GmbH), and Manish Kulkarni.
The event in Pune kicked off on February 23, 2026, with a meeting between representatives and members of the Pune Hydrogen Valley and the HZwo delegation. During the exchange, both sides successfully laid the groundwork for a long-term partnership. Through direct, face-to-face discussions, we had the opportunity to address specific areas of collaboration along the hydrogen value chain and evaluate various avenues for cooperation. The initial contacts between company representatives from both sides were particularly fruitful. We at HZwo e.V. are delighted to be able to expand economic cooperation with our members in the future under the umbrella of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India.
Another key highlight of the trip was the HZwo India Summit “Industry and Research Hand in Hand”, organized in collaboration with partners from the Pune Hydrogen Valley. The event brought together representatives from industry, research, and international organizations, creating a platform for discussion on joint innovation projects. The event began with an intercultural round of introductions, followed by a presentation on the local hydrogen ecosystem by Dr. Vishnu Budama. He provided an overview of the activities and partners of the Pune Hydrogen Valley and highlighted the region’s role in building an Indian hydrogen economy. This was followed by presentations by Clemens Antretter and Karan Arora from the Indo-German Energy Forum Support Office (IGEF-SO). In their presentations, they mapped out the collaboration between India and Germany across the hydrogen value chain and highlighted the political and economic conditions that support this cooperation. The presentation by Kalpesh Saraf, Regional Director of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of German-Indian cooperation from an economic perspective. Arun Thekkedath from the Netherlands Innovation Network India then provided an overview of the diverse opportunities for joint projects with Indian partners. Thanuj Singaravelan from Fraunhofer IVI followed up by presenting two European research projects—H2ROAM and Hy.CoMM—which serve as examples of international cooperation in the field of hydrogen mobility. Sushil Ramdasi from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) concluded the research-oriented presentations. In his presentation, he introduced numerous ideas for potential joint research and development projects, thereby opening up concrete prospects for future cooperation.
Exchange between research, industry, and clusters
Potential areas for cooperation were identified in various expert papers and discussions. Topics included, among others:
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eFuels, eMethanol, and eEthanol as building blocks of future energy systems
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Hydrogen applications in mobility, particularly in collaboration with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)
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European research projects and funding opportunities
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Technological solutions across the hydrogen value chain
Numerous companies also shared their perspectives, including AVL India, Maximator Hydrogen, VINUITY, h2e Power Systems, and Yonder H2. The contributions clearly demonstrated that there is significant interest in joint innovation and demonstration projects on both the German and Indian sides.
The discussions in Pune made it clear that the expertise of the participating stakeholders complements each other very well. Both the HZwo network and the Pune Hydrogen Valley bring together companies, research institutions, and public stakeholders across the entire hydrogen value chain. This creates favorable conditions for jointly advancing projects in the areas of technology development, industrial applications, and market development. The trip to Pune thus laid an important foundation for long-term cooperation between the HZwo network and the Indian hydrogen ecosystem
Next step: Visit by the Indian delegation to Chemnitz
The exchange will continue in just a few weeks: from April 27 to 30, 2026, a delegation from Pune will visit Chemnitz. The purpose of this return visit is to foster closer ties between companies and research institutions from both ecosystems and to further develop concrete project ideas.
The highlight of our guests’ visit from India will be the second HZwo India Summit, “Industry and Research Hand in Hand”, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Chemnitz. The program is currently being developed and will be published on our website shortly. For further information, please contact Dr.-Ing. Gert Schlegel at gert.schlegel@hzwo.eu.
Political momentum for international cooperation
The growing collaboration between European and Indian stakeholders in the fields of hydrogen and sustainable technologies is also being supported at the political level. Germany and the European Union plan to further expand their economic cooperation with India, particularly in the areas of climate protection, green industry, and sustainable technologies. Initiatives such as HZwo: INDIA-Start demonstrate how these strategic goals can be achieved through concrete collaborations between research institutions, industry, and clusters.
The event was supported by, among others, the Indo-German Energy Forum Support Office (IGEF-SO) and international partner networks, which provided additional insights into funding programs and opportunities for cooperation.
Special thanks go to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which made the HZwo: India-Start project possible for HZwo e.V., its members, and partners through the sequa Fund for preliminary projects and project-related activities.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Gert Schlegel
gert.schlegel@hzwo.eu