Frenzied developments on the energy front in India are indicative of the domestic automobile industry chasing us President George W Bush's hydrogen economy dream, which is thought to be more of a chimera. The industry, in collaboration with India's Union ministry of non-conventional energy sources (mnes), is planning to put hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on Indian roads by 2008.

The mnes has set up a National Hydrogen Energy Board (nheb) to guide the Indian Hydrogen Energy Programme. It is also working on the details of the National Hydrogen Energy Road Map, which will provide the basis for coordinated development on all aspects of hydrogen energy.

In the nheb's first meeting in February, mnes constituted a steering group headed by Ratan Tata, chairperson, Tata group of companies. The steering group is to chalk out an action plan during the next four months for commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell-powered vehicles through public-private partnership.