DGH to make all processes online within a month, says SCL Das

• We will support the industry initiatives through which the bar of digitisation is raised across the spectrum of the E&P industry, said Das

• We have recently launched the self-certification for several online processes and within a month, all processes will be online

New Delhi: SCL Das, Director General, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), urged the exploration and production (E&P) sector on Monday to mainstream the agenda of digitisation as part of their core corporate agenda and said that the DGH is committed to digitising all processes within a month to promote ease of doing business. "It is mainstream in the government agenda now and industry must also incorporate this to reduce inefficiencies," he added. Addressing a webinar on 'Digital Transformation of the Indian E&P Industry,' organised by FICCI, Das said, "Digital transformation and adoption of innovative digital technologies should be included in the business process of re-engineering, operations and decision making."

Highlighting the importance of digitisation in the E&P sector, Das said that the industry should encourage an innovation-driven culture within the company's eco-system which will collectively raise our level and put the Indian E&P sector at the forefront of digital revolution. 

Oil & gas sector needs to have more focused digital strategy: DGH

"The government remains committed to fostering and facilitating the rapid adoption and deployment of new technologies in the eco-system. We will support the industry initiatives through which the bar of digitisation is raised across the spectrum of the E&P industry, including the small and medium enterprises," he said.

Das further emphasised on the use of data science in a much more significant way. "The oil and gas sector needs to have a more focused digital strategy. There is a lot of data available but there is also a need for data science to take a more informed decision in the sector," he noted. 

'Govt working to remove pain points for ease of doing business'

Das said that the DGH is planning to use digitalisation to further enhance access of data, improve the ease of doing business and capacity building for the industry. "Going digital is going to enable us in finding greater value in our existing business and this is the opportune time to find new ways of doing business. These technologies assist in strategic decision making to data-driven insights, reducing cost, optimising operating models, automating manual operations, etc." He further said that we need to change the entire eco-system as a whole and not as an isolated process to get sustainable results.

Also read: India to US: Opportunities galore in gas sector, far-reaching reforms on way in E&P sector

Highlighting the challenges faced by the industry, Das said that the government is working to ensure all pain points are removed to promote ease of doing business. "We have recently launched the self-certification for several online processes and within a month, all processes will be online. We are also upgrading single window clearance portal and making them more comprehensive so that it becomes a 'one-touch and go' process," he assured. 

Prashant Modi, Co-Chair, FICCI Hydrocarbons Committee & MD & CEO, Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited (GEECL), said that the government has launched several bold transformational policies in the E&P sector in the last few years. This will help in creating a conducive environment for investments in this sector and will also help in lowering dependence on imports. "For ease of doing business, there is an urgent need for the rules to be automatic, based on self-certification. Digitisation will create several efficiencies and there is tremendous untapped potential in India, which can be explored through this," he added.

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