Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, praised the impressive success of India Energy Week (IEW) 2025, highlighting the record-breaking number of participants, exhibitors, and technical paper submissions. He noted that the event exceeded expectations by covering a wide array of sectors, including petroleum, natural gas, green energy, biofuels, and CBG, and showcasing innovative advancements. Shri Puri emphasized that in just three years, India Energy Week had grown to become the world’s second-largest energy platform, with the fourth edition scheduled to be held in Goa.
The Minister also pointed out that IEW 2025 stood out from other global energy forums by focusing on actual business transactions rather than just networking. He specifically mentioned a notable innovation at the HPCL stall—a cost-effective conversion kit that enables the use of biofuel in two- and three-wheelers. Shri Puri also expressed satisfaction with the convergence of investors, manufacturers, and consumers, exemplified by the display of flex-fuel vehicles at the event.
On the topic of India-US energy cooperation, Shri Puri highlighted the progress in bilateral relations, particularly in the natural gas sector. He mentioned India’s goal to raise natural gas consumption in its energy mix from 6% to 15%, underlining the strategic importance of its partnership with the United States for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplies.
The Minister also discussed reforms in the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector, particularly the Open Acreage Licensing Program (OALP) Round X, which covers around 200,000 square kilometers. He attributed the increased interest in this round to significant reforms in the regulatory framework, such as shifting from production-sharing to revenue-sharing mechanisms, and proposed amendments to the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act of 1948. Shri Puri announced that the new legislative framework, developed through extensive consultations, would soon be introduced in the Lok Sabha. He also highlighted the strong partnerships between ONGC, BP, and Reliance in bidding for blocks in previous rounds.
In outlining the Ministry’s priorities, the Minister focused on the importance of E&P and expert collaboration. He also emphasized the significance of regulatory changes that would ensure fair compensation for resource discoveries and improve policy predictability, especially in regard to the windfall tax. Shri Puri emphasized the removal of discretionary elements in policy enforcement, aiming for more transparency in the energy sector.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, discussed the global energy situation, noting that the new US administration’s efforts to increase oil supply have created favorable conditions in global markets. He highlighted the growing oil production from countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Brazil, Argentina, Suriname, Canada, the US, and Guyana, which is beneficial for energy-consuming nations like India. The Minister expressed full confidence in India’s international investments in oil and gas assets across countries like Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, and Mozambique.
The Minister also described India’s biofuel program as a success story, with current ethanol blending capacity at 1,700 crore liters. He also mentioned that the country is aiming for more than the 20% blending target. Shri Puri showed particular enthusiasm for green hydrogen, reaffirming India’s progress towards its 5MMT annual production goal for 2030. Additionally, he emphasized the development of sustainable aviation fuel as part of India’s green energy initiatives.
Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, provided details on the business conducted during IEW 2025. He outlined the key agreements made, which included supply arrangements for crude oil, LNG, and LPG across various regions, technology partnerships for digital refinery solutions, and exploration services. Shri Jain also pointed to the scale of the Open Acreage Licensing Program (OALP) Round X, stressing the importance of global expertise to tap into India’s hydrocarbon resources. He also mentioned the potential use of the Oil Industry Development Fund for innovative financing in deep-water exploration projects.
The Avinya’25 – Energy Startup Challenge, an initiative by the Ministry, recognized startups with innovative energy solutions. Shri Puri and Shri Jain presented the awards. UrjanovaC Pvt Ltd won the top prize for its synthetic catalyst technology that enables scalable CO₂ capture and conversion. The first runner-up, Breathe ESG Private Limited, developed a SaaS platform for automating ESG reporting, decarbonization strategies, and compliance.
AgriVijay, the second runner-up, introduced India’s first curated marketplace for renewable energy solutions targeting farmers and rural households. Apeiro Energy, in third place, created hybrid microgrids by integrating small wind turbines with solar panels. UGreen Technology, the fourth runner-up, developed a molecular-engineering solution to enhance CO₂ reactivity for efficient carbon capture.
Additionally, the Ministry launched the Vasudha – Oil and Gas Startup Challenge, a competition for overseas startups focused on revolutionizing the upstream oil and gas sector. Out of 17 entries from 13 countries, two startups were recognized. Latin Energy Partners Inc. from Paraguay won the challenge, while Ultrasound Process Consultation LLC from the 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.
To promote research and technological innovation, the Ministry organized a Hackathon among seven top IITs, including IIT Delhi, Mumbai, Madras, Guwahati, Roorkee, Kharagpur, and ISM Dhanbad. The competition aimed to generate solutions for CCUS and renewable energy challenges. IIT (ISM) Dhanbad won the competition, with IIT Guwahati taking second place.
