IEW 2026: India positioning itself as stable energy anchor amid geopolitical shocks, says Puri

Quitol (Goa): India has demonstrated strong preparedness to navigate sustained geopolitical volatility in global energy markets while remaining firmly at the centre of global energy dialogue, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said at the closing ceremony of India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 in Goa on Friday.

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Speaking during the closing fireside chat, Puri said India’s energy strategy is anchored in diversification, resilience and forward-looking transitions. “India has coped very well with successive geopolitical shocks. Each challenge has been converted into an opportunity — through diversification of supply sources and a rapid transition towards cleaner fuels,” he said.

India’s scale strengthens global role

Puri highlighted India’s growing weight in the global energy system, noting that the country is currently the world’s third-largest energy consumer, fourth-largest refiner and among the leading exporters of petroleum products.

“India will continue to ensure availability, affordability and sustainability of energy, even amid global uncertainty,” he said, underscoring the government’s focus on balancing energy security with cleaner fuel adoption.

Government roadmap to support growth

Following the minister’s remarks, Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, outlined the government’s roadmap to support India’s projected economic growth of over 7%.

Mittal said the government is prioritising strengthening domestic exploration and production to enhance energy self-reliance, while also positioning India as a reliable global supplier of refined petroleum products. He added that digitalisation, artificial intelligence and logistics optimisation are increasingly being deployed to improve operational efficiency and resilience across the energy value chain.

Innovation and industry excellence recognised

The closing day of IEW 2026 also saw awards recognising innovation, technological excellence and leadership across startups, academia and industry.

Under the AVINYA – The Energy Startup Challenge, Minimines Cleantech Solutions was recognised for its low-carbon process for recovering high-value materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The VASUDHA – Overseas Upstream Startup Challenge was won by SENERGETICS of the Netherlands for its AI-driven corrosion monitoring solutions, while the Hackathon Challenge was awarded to IIT Bombay for its AI-powered reservoir analysis platform.

Industry awards saw Oil and Natural Gas Corporation named Exploration Company of the Year and Oil India Limited recognised as Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year (over 1 MTOE). Reliance Industries Limited’s Jamnagar SEZ refinery was named Refinery of the Year, while innovation leadership awards went jointly to Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s R&D division and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited’s Innovation Center.

IEW reinforces India’s energy positioning: Ministry

India Energy Week 2026 concluded by reinforcing India’s positioning as a steady, credible and pragmatic energy leader capable of balancing security, affordability and sustainability, while fostering innovation and global collaboration across the energy ecosystem, said the Petroleum Ministry in a statement.

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