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