India, Dec. 31 -- On December 11, Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the commercial operation of the country's first fully indigenous hydrogen fuel cell passenger vessel in the Ganga at Namo Ghat in Varanasi. The vessel is the first in India to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell propulsion in a maritime setting and features fully indigenous technology. It operates on a low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell system that converts stored hydrogen into electricity, releasing only water as a byproduct. The event was billed as a transformative shift towards clean, sustainable and self-reliant transportation systems in the country. This milestone also strengthens the wider mission of rejuvenating and preserving river Ganga. Owned by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the vessel was built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). The vessel enters service following the completion of trial operations. The rollout aligns with the government's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 and supports MoPSW's efforts to advance clean, sustainable fuels across India's inland waterways. Technically, the fully air-conditioned 50-seater vessel can operate for up to eight hours on stored hydrogen and runs at a speed of 7 to 9 knots....