Petroleum Economist’s Editor-in-Chief, Paul Hickin, with Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s minister for petroleum and natural gas
India says doors wide open for energy investment
Hardeep Singh Puri says upstream oil is vital as country goes all out to boost its energy sector across E&P, gas, biofuels and hydrogen amid booming demand
“Our upstream strategy is not just a push. It is a strong imperative,” Indian energy minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Petroleum Economist in an exclusive interview, explaining how exploration and production is a vital cog in India’s energy wheel. Puri pointed out there is a danger when oil prices are relatively stable that countries can be lulled into complacency. “If you can access energy at a cheap price, why should one make major investments to do E&P? India has learned the hard way,” the minister of petroleum and natural gas said in a one-to-one discussion on the sidelines of India Energy Week in February. Puri said that, while many economies have fallen into the complacency trap, In
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
