In a landmark stride towards clean and sustainable transport, NTPC Limited formally handed over five hydrogen fuel cell-based buses to the State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO), UT Ladakh, during a ceremony held on June 18 at the NTPC Green Hydrogen Mobility Station, Palam, Leh.

This initiative marks India’s first-ever commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered buses, and notably, at the highest altitude in the world—making it a globally significant achievement in the field of green mobility.

The event was attended by Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, Bhupesh Chaudhary, Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh, and senior officials from NTPC, SIDCO, and other concerned departments.

Following the flag-off of the hydrogen buses, Secretary Bhupesh Chaudhary conducted an on-site inspection of NTPC’s Green Hydrogen Plant, reviewing its production, storage, and dispensing systems. He commended NTPC for executing such an advanced technological project in Ladakh’s high-altitude terrain and highlighted its alignment with the UT Administration’s vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh.

Later, the NTPC team called on Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal to brief him on the project's successful implementation. The Chief Secretary applauded NTPC’s pioneering efforts and noted that the successful operation of hydrogen buses in extreme conditions could pave the way for similar initiatives across the country. He also directed the NTPC team to document the project’s operational learnings to serve as a model for future hydrogen-based mobility projects.

This ambitious initiative, driven by the collaborative efforts of the UT Administration and NTPC, reaffirms India’s leadership in renewable energy innovation and marks a major leap forward in sustainable public transportation—especially in ecologically sensitive and strategically significant regions like Ladakh.