Key to sustained dialogue for investment, strengthening energy resilience: Puri on OPEC-India dialogue

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais at the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue

India and OPEC on Monday stressed the need for sustained engagement between energy producers and consumers to boost investment, improve supply resilience and ensure reliable energy flows amid growing global demand.

Addressing the seventh high-level meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India will remain a major driver of global energy demand in the coming decades.

“As one of the world’s fastest growing major economies, India will remain an important driver of global energy demand for decades to come,” Mr Puri said, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.

“Sustained dialogue between producers and consumers is essential to foster investment, strengthen energy resilience and ensure reliable energy supplies for global growth and development,” Mr Puri said.

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said cooperation with India is increasingly important for the oil-exporting bloc, given the country’s growing role in the global energy landscape.

“Dialogue with India is a priority for OPEC because we recognize the importance of India in the current global energy environment and the fact that this importance will only increase in the coming decades,” Al Ghais said.

Launched in 2015, the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue provides a platform for discussions on market stability, transparency, cooperation and long-term energy security. At the latest meeting, Mr Puri emphasized that India and OPEC share a “naturally complementary and mutually beneficial relationship”.

The next round of negotiations will be held in Vienna, Austria on a mutually agreed date.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 21:55 IST