Interview with Akshay Kashyap: green hydrogen, CNG, and EVs must coexist to decarbonise India’s roads

Lumax Greenfuel (Greenfuel Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd.) has established itself as a prominent player in India’s clean mobility sector, offering integrated solutions across CNG, LNG, green hydrogen, and lithium-ion battery technologies for vehicles and refuelling infrastructure. Founded in 2006 by Akshay Kashyap with an initial investment of Rs 40 lakh, the company has grown to over 500 employees and a turnover exceeding Rs 191 crore, serving major automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and expanding its presence globally. As India accelerates its transport decarbonisation efforts, Lumax Greenfuel is expanding its capabilities in hydrogen mobility, LNG solutions, and next-generation fuel systems. Against this backdrop, Power Peak Digest spoke with Akshay Kashyap, Founder and Managing Director, Lumax Greenfuel, on the evolving clean mobility landscape, the role of hydrogen in heavy-duty transportation, and the policy and infrastructure requirements for scaling alternative fuels in India.

1. India has set ambitious decarbonisation targets for the transport sector. How do you see the roles of CNG, LNG, battery electric vehicles, and green hydrogen evolving over the next decade?

India’s transport decarbonisation will be driven by a multi-fuel ecosystem, not a single technology. Every fuel has a role depending on the vehicle application, infrastructure, economics, and operational requirements.

Battery EVs will continue to lead in two-wheelers, passenger cars, and urban logistics, supported by the government’s target of 30% EV penetration in private cars, 70% in commercial vehicles, and 80% in two- and three-wheelers by 2030.

CNG will remain a critical transition fuel for passenger vehicles, buses, and light commercial vehicles, backed by an expanding network of over 7,600 CNG stations.

LNG offers significant potential for long-haul trucking due to its higher energy density, longer driving range, and lower emissions than diesel. Green hydrogen is expected to become a game-changer for heavy-duty transport where battery-electric solutions face challenges related to payload, range, and charging time.

The next decade will be defined by coexistence rather than competition. India’s strength lies in adopting the right fuel for the right application while strengthening domestic manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy security.

2. While electric mobility has gained significant momentum, do you believe alternative fuels such as CNG, LNG, and hydrogen are receiving adequate policy and industry attention?

EVs have rightly gained significant momentum, but transport decarbonisation requires a technology-neutral policy framework. Encouraging progress has been made through the expansion of the City Gas Distribution network and the National Green Hydrogen Mission, but policy support across all clean fuel technologies still needs to become more balanced and coordinated.

According to the IEA, freight accounts for nearly 40% of India’s transport energy demand and remains one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions. Many heavy commercial applications cannot be electrified in the near term due to operational and infrastructure constraints. This makes CNG, LNG, and hydrogen essential complementary solutions rather than competing technologies.

Going forward, policies should focus on accelerating infrastructure, encouraging technology adoption, and creating a level playing field across clean fuel options. A diversified approach will enable India to reduce emissions faster while maintaining economic competitiveness.

3. Which segments of commercial transportation are adopting cleaner fuels the fastest, and what factors are driving this shift?

City buses, urban logistics fleets, municipal vehicles, and light commercial vehicles are among the fastest adopters of cleaner fuels because they operate on predictable routes and can leverage centralised refuelling infrastructure. Long-haul trucking is also beginning to transition towards LNG as fleet operators look to reduce diesel consumption without compromising on operational efficiency.

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, India has launched pilot trials of 37 hydrogen-powered buses and trucks (15 fuel-cell and 22 H₂-ICE vehicles) across 10 major routes, supported by 9 hydrogen refuelling stations. The 18–24 month programme aims to validate hydrogen as a clean solution for commercial transport.

The shift is being driven by BS-VI emission norms, rising crude oil prices, stronger corporate ESG commitments, and increasing energy security concerns. Fleet operators are also paying greater attention to the total cost of ownership, where cleaner fuels can deliver long-term operational savings despite higher initial investments.

Ultimately, adoption will continue to depend on infrastructure availability, supportive policies, financing options, and confidence in technology reliability.

4. Green hydrogen has attracted considerable investment and policy support. What are the key challenges that need to be addressed before it can be deployed at scale in the mobility sector?

India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, which targets 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production by 2030, provides a strong foundation. Green hydrogen has enormous long-term potential, particularly for heavy-duty mobility, but large-scale deployment requires overcoming several interconnected challenges.

For large-scale adoption of hydrogen-powered HDVs to become commercially viable, the cost of onboard hydrogen storage, hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and green hydrogen production must decline significantly.

Achieving cost parity with diesel across these three critical areas will be essential to enable a competitive TCO, accelerate fleet adoption, and scale the hydrogen mobility ecosystem.

5. What infrastructure investments and policy support are needed to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen for heavy-duty commercial vehicles in India? What role will hydrogen refuelling stations and storage solutions play?

For green hydrogen to scale in India’s heavy-duty commercial vehicle (HDV) sector, policy should focus on creating an entire Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystem, rather than supporting vehicles alone.

Accelerating green hydrogen adoption for heavy-duty vehicles requires significant investment across the entire hydrogen value chain. This includes establishing 350-bar hydrogen refuelling corridors along major freight routes, scaling renewable-powered green hydrogen production near industrial and logistics hubs to achieve India’s 5 MMTPA production target by 2030, and developing robust storage and distribution infrastructure comprising high-pressure storage, pipelines, tube trailers, intermediate storage, and localized manufacturing of critical components such as cylinders, compressors, valves, and dispensers to ensure reliable, cost-effective hydrogen supply.

Hydrogen refuelling stations and storage solutions are critical enablers of the hydrogen mobility ecosystem. A dense network of strategically located refuelling stations along major freight corridors will ensure reliable, fast refuelling for long-haul commercial vehicles, while advances in high-pressure storage technologies and efficient hydrogen transportation and distribution systems will improve safety, reduce costs, and enhance fuel availability.

Together, they are essential for enabling long-distance operations, reducing range anxiety, and supporting the large-scale adoption of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles.

6. Based on Lumax Greenfuel’s experience working with OEMs, what are the biggest technological and infrastructure challenges in scaling hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles, and how can industry and policymakers work together to address them?

From our experience working closely with OEMs, scaling hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles requires simultaneous progress in both technology and infrastructure.

On the technology side, improving high-pressure hydrogen storage systems, increasing component localisation, and enhancing vehicle durability remain key priorities.

On the infrastructure side, hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and dispensing networks must expand in parallel with cost reduction of producing and setting up H2 dispensers.

The solution lies in stronger collaboration between OEMs, fuel suppliers, technology providers, research institutions, and policymakers through pilot projects, common technical standards, and long-term policy certainty. Such partnerships will accelerate innovation, lower costs, and build confidence across the ecosystem.

7. Could you provide an overview of Lumax Greenfuel Energy Solutions’ current portfolio across CNG, LNG, and hydrogen? Which product segments are seeing the strongest demand today?

Lumax Greenfuel has built a diversified clean mobility portfolio spanning CNG systems, LNG solutions, and emerging hydrogen technologies for both vehicle and station products. We have been one of India’s leading providers of OEM-integrated CNG systems and continue to work closely with vehicle manufacturers to deliver reliable, market-ready clean fuel solutions.

Today, CNG continues to see the strongest market demand due to expanding infrastructure, attractive operating economics, and sustained OEM adoption.

At the same time, interest in hydrogen technologies is growing steadily as pilot programmes, policy support, and industry investments gain momentum.

As the industry evolves, we are expanding our capabilities in LNG and hydrogen technologies while investing in future-ready mobility solutions that support India’s long-term decarbonisation goals.

8. Are there any new technologies, products, or business segments that Lumax Greenfuel plans to expand into over the next few years?

Innovation has always been at the core of Lumax Greenfuel’s growth strategy. Last year, we inaugurated our new Ferrule-less Tube & Fittings Manufacturing line in our plant in Manesar, marking the first localisation of this technology in India.

The ferrule-less tube and fitting technology, previously imported entirely, is designed for CNG vehicle applications. The torque-tightened system is engineered for mass production and aims to provide consistent assembly torque and repeatable quality standards. The localisation is expected to reduce costs by eliminating import duties, freight expenses, and foreign exchange exposure.

We recently also installed and inaugurated our CNG dispenser in Megha City Gas refuelling station, which is designed for reliability, precision, and high-performance operation, our CNG dispensers are engineered to meet the evolving needs of City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies and station operators.

We also continue to invest in hydrogen mobility, next-generation fuel systems, and intelligent mobility technologies that improve vehicle efficiency, safety, and emissions performance. Our focus remains on building technologies that are scalable, commercially viable, and aligned with India’s evolving clean mobility ecosystem. We believe a technology-agnostic approach will be essential as multiple clean fuel pathways continue to evolve.

9. Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for India’s clean mobility ecosystem through 2030?

India has a unique opportunity to become a global clean mobility leader by combining its strong manufacturing base, engineering talent, supportive policy environment, and rapidly growing domestic market. Initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM E-Drive, and the PLI schemes are creating strong momentum for innovation, localisation, and investment.

The biggest opportunity lies in building indigenous technologies, strengthening domestic supply chains, and positioning India as a global manufacturing and export hub for clean mobility solutions.

At the same time, infrastructure development, financing, supply chain resilience, technology localisation, and faster policy implementation remain key challenges.

Success will depend on continued collaboration between government, industry, academia, and technology providers. If this momentum is sustained, India is well-positioned to become one of the world’s leading clean mobility ecosystems by the end of the decade.