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