Betul: Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that India’s share of the increased global energy demand has been projected to rise to as much as 35% over the next two decades.Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the India Energy Week, Puri said that, as the world’s third-largest energy consumer and one of the fastest-growing major economies, India stood at the heart of global energy transformation. Despite this projected growth, India’s per capita energy consumption remained at only about 40% of the global average, making the country’s growth trajectory “both necessary and responsible.”“Our energy demand will continue to expand, with all sources set to grow,” Puri said.
New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday inaugurated the Hydrogen Zone at India Energy Week 2026 in Goa — highlighting India’s growing focus on clean and low-carbon energy solutions.
Goa, Jan 27 (ANI): Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Group Managing Director and Group CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, during the inaugural ceremony of the 4th India Energy Week (IEW) 2026, on Tuesday. (PIB Photo Gallery/ANI Photo)
The Union minister announced an immediate investment opportunity of approximately $5 billion for around 60 vessels needed for India’s oil and gas trade sector. The oil and gas sector accounts for nearly 28% of India’s trade basket by volume, making it the country’s largest commodity group handled at ports. This investment opportunity has been supported by the govt’s $8 billion package to boost the shipbuilding and maritime sector.“Every job created in a shipyard generates an additional 6 to 7 jobs across the associated supply chain,” Puri said. The fourth edition of India Energy Week attracted over 75,000 energy professionals, with more than 700 exhibiting companies and delegates from over 120 countries.Puri outlined recent reforms strengthening India’s energy sector, including the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 2025, which introduced single petroleum leases and time-bound approvals.Puri emphasised India’s success in shielding citizens from global fuel price volatility, noting that despite significant price increases in many major economies after 2021, fuel prices in Delhi in 2025 remained lower than 2021 levels.Puri, however, said that conventional energy would remain essential alongside renewable sources. “The history of energy has never been about replacement alone. It has been about addition. New sources have consistently complemented existing ones, allowing systems to expand and adapt,” he said.Puri said that nearly 80% of incremental global energy demand came from emerging and developing economies, with close to 60% originating in developing Asia. However, around 730 million people still lived without access to electricity, and nearly 2 billion people continued to rely on cooking methods harmful to human health.
