Widely recognised as one of India’s foremost energy and hydrogen experts, Sachin Chugh has emerged as a pivotal force driving the nation’s shift toward low-carbon, future-ready energy systems.
Sachin Chugh: Leadership at Arup – Guiding India’s Hydrogen Ambitions
In April 2024, global engineering and sustainable development consultancy Arup announced the appointment of Sachin Chugh as its new Hydrogen Lead for India. The move signalled Arup’s strong commitment to supporting India’s clean energy transformation at scale.
In this role, Sachin Chugh leads Arup’s hydrogen and energy portfolio across the country, advising public and private stakeholders on the design, engineering, and policy frameworks required for climate-conscious energy systems. His work spans critical sectors such as steel, mobility, aviation, refineries, and industrial manufacturing, where hydrogen is emerging as a cornerstone for deep decarbonisation.
As India targets the production of 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, Sachin Chugh’s leadership plays a defining role in shaping Arup’s contribution to hydrogen infrastructure planning, hydrogen blending strategies, fuel cell integration, and cross-sector decarbonisation pathways. His approach emphasises not only technological feasibility but also economic viability, grid integration, and long-term resilience of energy systems.
A Longstanding Champion of the Hydrogen Economy
Beyond his corporate leadership, Sachin Chugh is a respected national voice in India’s hydrogen ecosystem. He currently serves as Vice President of the Hydrogen Association of India (HAI), an organisation at the forefront of advocating hydrogen as a strategic pillar of India’s clean energy future.
With more than 15 years of sustained engagement in hydrogen-related initiatives, Sachin Chugh has contributed to shaping discussions around hydrogen policy, standards, and deployment models. His work reflects a rare continuity—from early-stage advocacy, when hydrogen technologies were still niche, to today’s accelerated push toward commercial-scale green hydrogen.
Sachin Chugh: Nearly Two Decades at IndianOil – From Research to Real-World Impact
Before joining Arup, Sachin Chugh spent close to 20 years at IndianOil’s Research & Development division, where he led several strategic, policy-oriented, and technology-driven initiatives in alternative fuels and carbon management.
During his tenure, he played a central role in introducing India’s first fuel cell buses in Delhi, transforming hydrogen from a laboratory concept into a visible, real-world mobility solution. These demonstration projects showcased the operational feasibility of fuel cell technologies in Indian conditions and laid the groundwork for future hydrogen-based transport systems.
Sachin Chugh also spearheaded advancements in hydrogen-blended CNG (H-CNG) technologies, addressing urban air quality challenges while reducing carbon intensity in transport fuels. Under his leadership, IndianOil established high-end fuel cell and electrolyser research laboratories, significantly strengthening India’s domestic R&D capabilities in hydrogen production and utilisation.
His work at IndianOil extended beyond technology deployment to include green hydrogen demonstration programmes, bridging the gap between innovation, regulation, and industrial adoption.
Academic Foundation and Technical Excellence
The technical depth that defines Sachin Chugh’s leadership is rooted in a strong academic foundation. He holds a Master’s degree in Thermal Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, equipping him with a rigorous understanding of energy systems, thermodynamics, and efficiency optimisation.
Complementing his engineering expertise, he earned an advanced postgraduate certification in Business Analytics from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. This rare combination of engineering and analytics enables him to evaluate energy transitions not only through a technical lens but also through data-driven decision-making, economic assessment, and strategic foresight.
Innovation, Patents, and Knowledge Creation
Sachin Chugh’s contributions to the hydrogen and alternative energy landscape are firmly anchored in innovation. He is credited with 12 patents and has authored over 20 research papers focusing on alternative fuels, hydrogen technologies, and carbon management.
Through these contributions, Sachin Chugh has helped advance India’s intellectual capital in hydrogen technologies at a time when global competition in clean energy innovation is intensifying.
Mentorship and Ecosystem Building
Equally significant is Sachin Chugh’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators. He has guided three PhD scholars in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells and has mentored multiple startups, supporting technology development, validation, and scale-up.