New Delhi: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that India will remain an important driver of global energy demand in the decades ahead.

Mr Puri co-chaired the Seventh High-Level Meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)-India Energy Dialogue with OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais in New Delhi.

The meeting focused on oil market stability, energy security and the importance of adequate and timely investment across the oil industry. Both sides also reviewed the short-, medium- and long-term outlooks, highlighting India’s crucial role in global economic expansion and energy demand growth.

India and OPEC Share Complementary Relationship

During the meeting, Mr Puri said that India and OPEC share a naturally complementary and mutually beneficial relationship. He stressed that India values its longstanding engagement with OPEC and its Member Countries, which has contributed significantly to mutual understanding and cooperation on key energy issues.

The Minister said sustained dialogue between producers and consumers is essential to support investment, strengthen energy resilience and ensure reliable energy supplies for global growth and development.

Mr Puri called on OPEC and India to work closely towards advancing a balanced, stable and predictable global energy market to promote stability and transparency in global energy markets.

OPEC Calls Dialogue with India a Priority

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said that dialogue with India is a priority for OPEC, recognizing India’s importance within the current global energy landscape and the fact that this importance will only increase in the decades ahead.

He noted that the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue is eleven years strong, having been launched in New Delhi in 2015.

He also commended India’s balanced, realistic and pragmatic approach to addressing energy challenges, emphasizing that many of India’s energy priorities are also priorities for OPEC.