India's oil minister: 'We want to increase gas consumption'
Natural gas is cheap, abundant and cleaner than other fossil fuels. It’s the fuel for India, says the oil and natural gas minister, Dharmendra Pradhan
INDIA wants to become a natural gas-based economy, generating far-reaching economic, environmental and social benefits, says oil and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan. It's a bold message, and it will be heard from Australia to Qatar and the US. Gas accounts for just 7% of India's primary energy consumption. But, with global gas prices expected to remain "reasonable for a long period", Pradhan says the government plans to triple gas's share of the energy mix. "We want to put it to around 20%," he tells Petroleum Economist in an exclusive interview. "We have to provide easy access to energy to our citizens. We have to provide affordable energy," he says. "We want to provide clean energ
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
