The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) marked its 20th anniversary in New Delhi on 4 November 2026, with German Ambassador to India Jasper Wieck declaring that the partnership's most consequential work is yet to come — centred on green hydrogen, renewable energy, and future-ready industrial value chains. The milestone event signalled a clear pivot from two decades of capacity-building toward large-scale clean energy trade between the two nations.

Two Decades of Bilateral Energy Cooperation

The IGEF was launched at the Hannover Trade Fair in 2006 by then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, making it one of the longest-running bilateral energy platforms between India and a European nation. Over two decades, it has contributed to integrating renewable energy into India's power grid, advancing energy efficiency standards, and building early frameworks for battery storage and green hydrogen.

The anniversary event was held under the theme 'Navigating from Past to Present, with Optimism for the Future'. It opened with a visual presentation tracing key milestones in Indo-German energy cooperation, followed by a documentary film chronicling the forum's journey. Alexandre Callegaro, Minister Counsellor and Head of the Department for Economic and Global Affairs at the German Embassy, welcomed guests to the event.

Green Hydrogen Takes Centre Stage

Green hydrogen emerged as the defining focus of the forum's next chapter. Gunther Grathwohl, Head of Division for International Hydrogen Ramp-up and Bilateral Cooperation on Hydrogen Infrastructure at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), delivered a special address in which he said both countries were actively laying the groundwork for large-scale sustainable energy trade. This includes aligning regulations, connecting industrial clusters, and reducing investment risks to accelerate hydrogen infrastructure development.

The IGEF is jointly anchored by Germany's BMWE and India's Ministry of Power. Its operations are guided by five thematic subgroups covering thermal power plant flexibilisation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green energy financing and grid integration, and green hydrogen — a structure that reflects the breadth of the two countries' energy agenda.

What Ambassador Wieck Said

Ambassador Wieck described the IGEF as a 'true success story' and expressed strong confidence in the road ahead. 'I believe the most exciting chapters of our energy partnership are still ahead of us. Our ambition is to work with our Indian partners not only to expand renewable energy, but also to build the industries and value chains of the future,' he said.

His remarks underscored a broader strategic shift: the partnership is no longer limited to energy supply and grid management, but is moving toward co-developing the industrial ecosystems — manufacturing, logistics, and financing — that underpin a hydrogen-powered economy.

Significance for India's Clean Energy Goals

For India, the deepened IGEF focus on green hydrogen arrives at a critical juncture. The country has set an ambitious target of producing 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030 under its National Green Hydrogen Mission. Germany, itself navigating an accelerated energy transition post its nuclear phase-out, brings financing expertise, industrial technology, and regulatory experience that India is keen to absorb. This bilateral forum — spanning government agencies, industry players, financial institutions, research organisations, and think tanks from both sides — is positioned as a key channel for that transfer.

As both nations deepen this collaboration, the next phase of the IGEF will test whether bilateral goodwill can translate into bankable, scalable green hydrogen projects on the ground.