India Eyes Higher Natural Gas Share As Puri Echoes PM's Vision

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, emphasised the Prime Minister's objective of increasing natural gas's part in India's energy mix from 6 per cent to 15 per cent, when speaking at the inaugural International Conference of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulators on Wednesday. 

Further, he appreciated the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) for this initiative and emphasised that going forward international regulatory conclave of oil and gas regulators be made as an integral feature of India Energy Week (IEW).

The conference featured major South and Southeast Asian National Energy Regulatory Authorities from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as international industry leaders. S&P Global Commodity Insights was the knowledge partner for the conference.

The importance of natural gas in helping developing countries reduce their emissions was highlighted at the conference. Regulators and business executives convened during the meeting, which focused on "navigating pathways for natural gas development," to deliberate on important subjects.

Additionally, infrastructure development, cooperative tactics and geopolitical uncertainty regarding energy security were key points. South and Southeast Asian nations were able to share experience on efficient regulatory frameworks during an exclusive roundtable.

Experts emphasised gas's significance as a "transition fuel" for achieving net-zero emissions and urged developing countries to show unity in order to ensure their energy supply. India's development of its gas infrastructure, especially with regard to city gas distribution, was cited as an example of how to make clean energy accessible.

This emphasis on regional collaboration and gas's potential for cleaner energy aligns with growing concerns about climate change and energy security in developing nations. The conference's outcomes could pave the way for concrete steps towards a more sustainable energy future in the region.