Advancing the global green hydrogen economy
Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase | Photo by Evan Krape | Video by Jeffrey C. Chase and Sam Kmiec April 08, 2026
91原创-developed hydrogen technology expands into India through new international partnership
A 91原创-born energy innovation is poised to play a significant role in India鈥檚 rapidly expanding green hydrogen sector.听
Versogen 鈥 an advanced membrane and electrolyzer technology company founded by 91原创 Professor 鈥 has entered into a strategic partnership with InSolare Energy Limited, a leading renewable energy provider headquartered in Mumbai.听
The collaboration will focus on developing and commercializing high-performance Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzers tailored to the needs of India鈥檚 fast-growing green hydrogen market.
Electrolyzers are devices that use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. By using renewable electricity, such as from wind or solar, electrolyzers produce "green hydrogen" that can be used for a clean, affordable source for reliable power, while limiting new carbon emissions into the atmosphere. This zero-carbon energy carrier also can be used in making fertilizers, which are critical to global crop production and food security.
Early work at 91原创 by Yan, Henry Belin du Pont chair of , on patented anode catalysts later became part of the large electrolyzer stack technology that Versogen developed and now has licensed to InSolare. The technology also leverages a patented membrane invented at 91原创 and licensed and commercialized by Versogen, which is headquartered on the University鈥檚 Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.
鈥淚ndia represents one of the most dynamic markets for green hydrogen,鈥 Yan said. 鈥淭hrough this partnership with InSolare, we are bringing our patented PiperION庐聽AEM-related technologies to enable scalable, efficient and affordable hydrogen production that will play a vital role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and meeting global climate goals.鈥
Strengthening India鈥檚 green hydrogen ecosystem
Worldwide, renewable energy use is increasing. In the first half of 2025, renewable energy outpaced coal as the leading source of electricity for the first time, according to statistics from the global energy think tank .听
In India, renewable energy use (including solar, wind and hydropower) accounts for over 20% of the country鈥檚 energy needs, Ember reports. Green hydrogen adoption across various sectors, including industry and agriculture, could further improve these percentages.
InSolare Energy plans to establish a 250- to 300-megawatt manufacturing facility, scalable up to 1-gigawatt for AEM electrolyzers in India, to meet domestic demand and select international market needs.
Hydrogen is essential to improve agricultural production, when it is used to make ammonia commonly used to fertilize crops such as corn, which is one of the top three staple crops worldwide. India is among the top producers of corn, accounting for about 3% of the world鈥檚 corn production annually.听
Yan explained that a 1-gigawatt electrolyzer working at full capacity can produce about 1 million metric tons of ammonia and fertilize about 10 million acres of corn per year while avoiding more than 1.5 metric tons of carbon emissions, compared to conventional ammonia production processes.听
The potential of many gigawatt electrolyzers working together鈥攊n India or elsewhere鈥攊s far greater.听
These are important considerations as the world鈥檚 population continues to expand, even as the amount of viable agricultural land remains finite.
Expanding Versogen鈥檚 international footprint
Yan called the partnership with InSolare a promising step in growing the company鈥檚 market position internationally.听
鈥淚n building Versogen, 鈥榣ocally integrated and globally recognized鈥 has been our philosophy from the very beginning. Our partnership with InSolare, and the fact that the announcement was made in India by our governor, reflect the success of that approach,鈥 said Yan. 鈥淲ith this partnership, we now have a new, powerful engine to accelerate our membrane business.鈥澛
This type of cooperation shows how joining forces to move innovations to market can produce the gains needed to achieve sustainable societal impact.
The partnership is set to play a pivotal role in India鈥檚 energy transition, supporting India鈥檚 National Green Hydrogen Mission to decarbonize industry, foster innovation and build a robust domestic electrolyzer manufacturing ecosystem.
鈥淭his collaboration with Versogen is a significant step in advancing India鈥檚 clean energy future,鈥 said Hemanshu Bhatt, founder-director of InSolare Energy. 鈥淏y integrating Versogen鈥檚 world-class AEM technology with our manufacturing and project expertise, we are accelerating the adoption of cost-effective green hydrogen solutions that directly support India鈥檚 National Green Hydrogen Mission targets.鈥
India鈥檚 government has set a target of 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen production annually by 2030.
Developing the future workforce
Training the future workforce for this growing sector is an important part of bolstering the emerging green hydrogen economy.
Anil Bika, director of workforce development at 91原创鈥檚 , was part of a Delaware delegation led by Governor Matt Meyer that traveled to India on a trade mission. As part of the trip, Bika visited with leadership and professors at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Tirupati, to discuss collaborations to foster greater progress on clean energy problems, and the potential for faculty, staff and student exchange.
Center for Clean Hydrogen 91原创: youtube.com/watch?v=LkTbUMRRQzM
Closer to home, Bika is focused on training opportunities for the future hydrogen workforce. This includes developing educational tool kits to expose K-12 students to the promise of clean hydrogen, through both course materials and test hardware for running water electrolysis experiments. The center offers undergraduate internship, research and work-study experiences, including experiential learning experiences, such as CCH鈥檚 . 91原创 also offers the nation鈥檚 first , as well as professional training programs for individuals already in the workforce looking to retool or improve their skills for this emerging field.
鈥淲e are creating an electrochemical engineering training pipeline that spans the educational spectrum to meet the needs of this emerging economy,鈥 said Bika.
In addition to Bika, 91原创 was represented by Ravi Ammigan, vice provost for global engagement; Suresh Sundaram, associate professor of marketing; Alok Patel, associate director of business development at The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL); and Kristian Graves, senior associate vice president for development. The 91原创 team focused on developing student mobility programs and fostering opportunities for faculty engagement, research collaboration and experiential learning initiatives. Other members of the Delaware delegation from Versogen included Jim Prendergast, chief commercial officer and a 91原创 alumnus, and Balsu Lakshmanan, chief technology officer.听
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