In a significant step to accelerate India’s green hydrogen ambitions, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a clarification providing conditional exemptions from ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers) compliance for renewable energy projects supplying electricity to green hydrogen and green ammonia facilities under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme’s Mode-2A and Mode-28.
According to an official memorandum, the exemption applies only to projects where the last bid submission was on or before 31 August 2025, regardless of their commissioning date. This includes the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Mode-2A bids, which closed on 14 July 2025, as well as early tenders issued by Oil Marketing Companies under Mode-28 of the SIGHT Programme.
“The relaxation has been issued in response to industry representations seeking clarity on equipment sourcing norms,” an MNRE spokesperson said.
The ministry clarified that ALMM relaxations will be granted on a case-by-case basis, subject to receipt of a formal request from developers and subsequent due assessment.
The memorandum also noted that provisions of the earlier office memorandum dated 27 May 2024, which outlined ALMM exemptions subject to specific conditions, continue to remain valid.
Industry experts expect the clarification to ease implementation challenges for early green hydrogen projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, by removing potential equipment-sourcing bottlenecks for upstream renewable power infrastructure.
This move reinforces India’s commitment to promoting renewable energy integration into the green hydrogen sector while maintaining compliance flexibility for projects critical to the country’s energy transition. By allowing conditional exemptions from ALMM requirements, MNRE aims to ensure that early-stage projects can progress without delays, supporting both energy security and the government’s long-term decarbonization goals.
“The SIGHT Programme is a key enabler for India’s green hydrogen ecosystem, and these clarifications will provide the necessary operational flexibility to achieve our renewable energy and climate targets,” the spokesperson added.
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