At India Energy Week 2025 India cements position as global energy leader
“World’s second-largest energy conclave saw announcement of largest-ever exploration bid round, charted path for green energy transition while strengthening international partnerships”
Hardeep Singh
Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, highlighted the measurable success
of India Energy Week 2025 through its unprecedented participant and exhibitor
numbers and technical paper submissions. The Minister noted that the event had
exceeded expectations by encompassing a comprehensive range of sectors
including petroleum, natural gas, green energy, biofuel, and CBG, showcasing
remarkably innovative developments.
Puri emphasised
that within the short span of three years, India Energy Week has established
itself as the world's second-largest energy platform, with its fourth edition
scheduled to take place in Goa.
The Minister emphasised that IEW 2025 distinguished
itself from other global energy forums by facilitating actual business
transactions rather than merely serving as a networking platform. Hardeep Singh
Puri specifically highlighted practical innovations such as the cost-effective
conversion kit demonstrated at the HPCL stall, designed for enabling biofuel
usage in two and three-wheelers. Additionally, the Minister also expressed
satisfaction at the convergence of investors, manufacturers, and consumers,
particularly evident in the display of flex fuel vehicles.
Speaking on India-US energy cooperation, the Minister
noted the substantial progress in bilateral relations, particularly in the
natural gas sector. The Minister highlighted India's stated goal of increasing
natural gas consumption to 15% in its energy mix from about 6% currently,
emphasizing the strategic importance of the relationship with the United States
for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supplies.
Addressing reforms in the Exploration and Production
(E&P) sector, Puri detailed the scale of Open Acreage Licensing Program
(OALP) Round X covering about 200,000 square kilometres. The Minister explained
that enhanced interest in this round has been driven by systematic reforms in
the regulatory regime, transitioning from production to revenue sharing
mechanisms, along with the proposed amendments to Oilfields (Regulation and
Development) Act 1948.
Additionally, Puri announced that the new legislative
framework, developed through extensive consultations, is set to be presented in
the Lok Sabha. He particularly noted the collaboration of ONGC with BP, and
Reliance in bidding for blocks in earlier rounds as a strong message of
industry partnership.
Outlining the Ministry's priorities, the Minister emphasised
focus on E&P, stressing the importance of expert collaboration and the
proposed changes to regulatory framework that allows appropriate compensation
for resource discovery to the stakeholders in the sector.
The Minister highlighted the significance of the
amendments, passed by the Rajya Sabha, in ensuring policy predictability,
particularly regarding windfall tax implementation. He emphasised the removal
of discretionary elements in policy implementation as a move toward more
transparent governance in the energy sector.
Discussing the global energy scenario, the Minister
observed that the new US administration's push for increased oil supply has created
favourable conditions in global markets. He noted the emergence of new oil
sources from the Western Hemisphere, including Brazil, Argentina, Suriname,
Canada, US, and Guyana, as beneficial for major consuming nations like India.
Shri Puri expressed complete confidence in India's international investments in
the Oil & Gas assets across Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, and Mozambique.
Hardeep Singh Puri described the biofuel program as a
remarkable story, citing current capacity of 1,700 crore litres for ethanol
blending, while discussing potential beyond the 20% blending target. Moreover, Puri
expressed particular excitement about green hydrogen, confirming confident
progression toward the 5MMT annual production target for 2030, while also
highlighting sustainable aviation fuel development.
Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Pankaj
Jain, detailed the business conducted during IEW 2025 across various domains.
He categorised the agreements into distinct areas: supply arrangements for
crude, LNG, and LPG across geographies; technology partnerships for digital
refinery solutions; and exploration services.
Pankaj Jain also highlighted the unprecedented scale of
OALP Round X, emphasising the need for global expertise to exploit hydrocarbon
resources in the country. Jain also discussed the potential use of the Oil
Industry Development Fund, established under the Oil Industry Development Act,
for innovative financing needs in deep-water exploration projects.
Felicitation to
Startup Competition and Hackathon Winners:
The prestigious
Avinya’25 – Energy Startup Challenge awards, the flagship initiative of the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, were presented by Hardeep Singh Puri and
Shri Pankaj Jai. Avinya’25 recognised startups with pioneering solutions
addressing key energy challenges.
UrjanovaC Pvt Ltd emerged as the winner for its synthetic
catalyst technology that enables scalable and cost-competitive CO₂ capture and
conversion. The first runner-up, Breathe ESG Private Limited, developed a SaaS
platform that automates ESG reporting, decarbonisation strategies, and
compliance.
AgriVijay, the second runner-up, introduced India’s first
curated marketplace for renewable energy solutions for farmers and rural
households. Apeiro Energy, securing the third runner-up position, designed
hybrid microgrids by integrating small wind turbines with solar panels. UGreen
Technology, the fourth runner-up, developed a molecular-engineering approach
that enhances CO₂ reactivity for efficient carbon capture.
Additionally, the Ministry introduced Vasudha – Oil and
Gas Startup Challenge, an exclusive competition for overseas startups
revolutionizing the upstream oil and gas sector. Out of 17 entries from 13
countries, two visionary startups were recognised.
Latin Energy Partners Inc., Paraguay, won the challenge,
while Ultrasound Process Consultation LLC, USA, was named the runner-up. Their
innovations in oil and gas exploration, AI-driven production management, ESG
compliance, CCUS technologies, and geothermal exploration were highly commended.
Promoting research and technological innovation, a
Hackathon was organised among seven premier IITs, including IIT Delhi, Mumbai,
Madras, Guwahati, Roorkee, Kharagpur, and ISM Dhanbad. The competition aimed to
drive forward-thinking solutions in CCUS and renewable energy. IIT (ISM)
Dhanbad secured the winner’s title, while IIT Guwahati emerged as the runner-up.
India Energy Week
was envisioned as more than just another industry conference—it was designed to
be a dynamic platform redefining global energy dialogues. In just two years,
this self-funded initiative has achieved precisely that, becoming the world’s
second-largest energy event. The third edition, scheduled from February 11-14,
2025, at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, represents a significant milestone in shaping
the global energy narrative.