Director, GH2 India
Nishaanth Balasahanmugam is the founding director Green Hydrogen India (GH2 India). At GH2 India, Balasahanmugam has spearheaded a multi-stakeholder effort, seamlessly bridging the gap between governments and the industry towards India’s green hydrogen ambitions. He has fostered relationships with central ministries, state governments, over 130 companies and international stakeholders in the ecosystem. His role encompasses assisting green hydrogen project developers and governments with addressing common issues, financing, capacity building, policy and contracting. He also serves as a programme coordinator for the Climate and Energy Transition Finance Initiative, which is focused on enabling large-scale financing for energy transition projects. A business graduate from Newcastle, UK, Balasahanmugam has experience of over 16 years in the industry. He has held managerial roles at automotive dealerships with Honda and Ford, and brings invaluable expertise in both industry and sustainability to the table.
According to Balasahanmugam, scaling up green hydrogen in India presents significant challenges. The industry demands substantial renewable power and infrastructure, with over 125 GW of renewable energy needed to meet targets. Additionally, India must decarbonise its energy grid, which currently has under 50 per cent renewable capacity. A key challenge is coordinating efforts across ministries and organisations to foster collaboration and structural changes that enable large-scale adoption. No existing framework can handle the versatility of green hydrogen and its derivatives, which can serve as fuel, energy carrier or feedstock in both gaseous and liquid forms. While the technologies for production exist, improving integration and production efficiency, and reducing capital and operational costs are vital for the industry’s success.
Balasahanmugam does not believe in adhering to any one particular management style. For him, the most important qualities are the desire to work, a commitment to excellence and the discipline to execute. He believes that organisational culture is vital. Balasahanmugam, a first dan black belt in karate, enjoys exploring new cultures. Although most of his time in the past two years has been dedicated to building GH2 India, he continues to pursue karate whenever he can. His goals are extensive, but the foremost priority for him today is building GH2 India into a truly impactful organisation, one that drives the green hydrogen industry forward, both in India and globally.
