Mumbai, September 2, 2025: Tata Steel has bagged the 63rd R&D 100 Award in the Mechanical/Material category for the “Design and Development of API X65 pipe for hydrogen transportation”, a project spearheaded by the Product Development Research Group of the Company’s Research and Development Division. This award reaffirms Tata Steel’s commitment to develop technology-based products that align with India’s clean energy transition.
Often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation” or the “Nobel Prize of Engineering”, the R&D 100 Awards have, since 1963, been regarded as one of the most prestigious innovation awards programmes honouring great R&D pioneers and their revolutionary ideas in science and technology. This esteemed recognition positions Tata Steel at the forefront of cutting-edge research on the global stage.
Subodh Pandey, Vice President – Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene, Tata Steel, said: “Winning the R&D 100 Award is a testament to Tata Steel’s commitment and proven capabilities in creating innovative products and solutions that are relevant to the ever-evolving domestic and global demand. This award encourages us to continue to invest in research and novel technologies that can enable us to compete effectively in the global marketplace. We thank the R&D World and the eminent jury for recognising Tata Steel’s efforts.”
In January this year, Tata Steel became India’s first steel company to demonstrate end-to-end capabilities in developing pipes for the transportation of hydrogen, marking a significant milestone towards achieving the country’s National Hydrogen Mission. The complete technology development, from the design and development of the hot rolled steel to the pipe manufacturing, was done in-house. The API X65 Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) pipes processed at Tata Steel’s Khopoli plant, using the steel manufactured at the Company’s Kalinganagar plant, successfully met all the critical properties required for hydrogen transportation. The hydrogen qualification tests were carried out at RINA-CSM S.p.A, Italy, a leading approving agency for hydrogen-related testing and characterisation. These hydrogen-compliant API X65 grade pipes can be used for the transportation of 100% pure gaseous hydrogen under high pressure (100 bar).
