Kochi Airport in the southern Indian state of Kerala plans to introduce three hydrogen-powered buses, becoming the first airport in India to commercialise the use of hydrogen buses for regular operations.
Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which owns and operates Kochi Airport, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Kerala’s Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster (HVIC) to implement the project. The initiative is valued at 87 million rupees ($940,000) and will be funded in stages by the state-backed cluster, CIAL said.
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Under the agreement, Cochin International Airport Limited will procure three hydrogen buses at a capped cost of 29 million rupees per vehicle. The airport operator expects to induct all three units by February 2027. CIAL will determine routes and the operating model, while bearing operational and statutory expenses.
To support refuelling, CIAL has partnered with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to develop a green hydrogen production facility at the airport, which is expected to become operational ahead of the buses entering service.
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Neither CIAL nor HVIC has disclosed technical specifications or suppliers for the hydrogen buses. In March 2025, EKA Mobility, KPIT Technologies and BPCL announced a separate proof-of-concept project to trial a nine-metre hydrogen fuel cell bus at Kochi Airport, though it remains unclear whether the upcoming commercial fleet will use the same model.
Kerala HVIC is one of four hydrogen innovation clusters approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, alongside clusters in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha. The mission, launched in 2023 with a budget of 197.44 billion rupees, aims to position India as a global hub for green hydrogen production and applications.