New Delhi:

India is a shining example of affordable clean cooking gas for developing nations, and the Indian model can be replicated in countries of the Global South, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told NDTV today at the India Energy Week 2025 (IEW).

“Reasonably priced cooking medium is not a challenge in the West, it’s not a challenge in the US and Europe but for countries in Africa, for countries of the Global South, it is a challenge and I think the Indian model where the developmental challenges are more akin to what the countries of the Global South have, I think that is a model that can be replicated,” the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas said, adding India has decided to intensify negotiation over this.

“I’ll give you an example. The Deputy Prime Minister of Tanzania wanted to have some more information. I introduced him to the chairman of IOCL [Indian Oil], and he said a Tanzanian oil company was already in touch with one of the vendors, and they already supplied a hundred thousand cooktops,” Mr Puri said.

“So things are happening at a breakneck speed. Now the government will also focus on clean cooking gas and I think by the time we have the next ministerial meeting in Goa for the IEW, we’ll be able to give a concrete shape to it,” Mr Puri said.

The IEW exhibition has grown exponentially to become the world’s new meeting place for energy professionals, with millions of dollars of business conducted onsite, positioning it at the very heart of international business.

A key facilitator of dialogue between international and regional producers, the event provides international exhibitors with the opportunity to network with key buyers from over 120 countries across the full energy value chain.

On India and Qatar’s relationship with regards to liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Union Minister said India has a long-term agreement with Qatar which will last till 2028, and another has been signed to add 20 more years to the agreement.

“… In any discussion on a growing economy, some economy which is growing at 6.5-6.8 per cent, energy becomes a very vital component… I think Qatar is in the market for more sales of LNG, we are in the market for more purchases, but these are commercial agreements which will be discussed during visits,” Mr Puri said.

“As far as the US is concerned, we are already buying $20 billion of energy with them. The fact that the newly elected president of the US wants more energy to come into the world market for energy to be more competitively priced, I mean that’s something that India looks forward to,” Mr Puri said.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Minister of Petroleum and VP Delcy Rodriguez, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, and First Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Pavel Sorokin at India Energy Week 2025, in New Delhi on Tuesday
| Photo Credit: PIB

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas H.E. Hardeep Singh Puri said India was planning to increase the usage of liquified natural gas (LNG) from 6% to 15%, for which long-term agreements have been signed with Qatar.

Mr. Puri was inaugurating the third edition of the India Energy Week 2025 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi on Tuesday (February 11, 2025). Stating that India was not facing any energy deficit, he said as part of adopting clean energy, the country was installing massive LNG storage infrastructure and increasing the production of bio fuels to help achieve 20% usage of green energy. The bio fuel adoption is planned to be achieved through the provision of incentives and subsidies for electrolysers, he added. 

The Union Minister pointed out that as part of having a diversified portfolio of energy requirements for long-term purposes, 500 million tonnes of biofuel feedstock will be used, along with the scaling of hydrogen energy to achieve 5 million metric tonnes by 2030. Under this hydrogen project, $96 billion was pumped into hydrogen investments, and for LNG, $30 billion, in refining and petrochemical expansion.

India has achieved 100% electrification and has made a mark in providing access to clean cooking in the country through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Mr. Puri said.

After participating in a session on ‘Shaping the new world energy order and trade map’, he launched the open acreage licensing policy X, in which 25 blocks measuring 1,91,986 sq. km were identified for hydrocarbon exploration and licensing policy in the country.

New Delhi:

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday refuted Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s claims regarding the former insisting the inclusion of billionaire George Soros in an invite list to a 2009 dinner in the US.

Mr Tharoor said his and Mr Puri’s recollections of the dinner hosted by the latter during his tenure as the Indian Ambassador to the US differ. “I was completely unaware of any Mr Soros having any connection to any foundation in India – and have never discussed it with him either. All I remember hearing from him at that occasion was his strong objection to our government’s stand on the West’s responsibility for global warming,” The Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote in a post on X.

.Our recollections differ, dear Hardeep. There were several guests present at your well-attended dinner whom i had never met before. But i am not objecting; it is entirely appropriate that on such an occasion the Indian Ambassador should have a guest-list spanning a wide…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 21, 2024

The matter began on December 15 when an X user who identified himself as a BJP worker from Karnataka showed Mr Tharoor an old post from 2009 in which Mr Tharoor wrote, “Met old friend George Soros, upbeat about India and curious about our neighbourhood. He’s far more than an investor: a concerned world citizen.”

On Friday, Mr Puri responded to Mr Tharoor’s post on X that he met US billionaire George Soros at a formal dinner at the former’s New York home. Mr Puri indicated the Congress MP did not show the whole picture – he said it was Mr Tharoor himself who gave the list of invitees for the dinner, and the “gentleman in question was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the Minister of State was keen to meet him.”

Mr Puri went on to say that it became clear in retrospect that Mr Soros was an invitee because he was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. He added that that was why Mr Tharoor, then Minister of State External Affairs, wanted to meet him.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has responded to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s post on X that he met US billionaire George Soros at a formal dinner at Mr Puri’s New York home when the Union Minister was India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative at the United Nations.

Mr Puri indicated the Congress MP did not show the whole picture – he said it was Mr Tharoor himself who gave the list of invitees for the dinner, and the “gentleman in question was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the Minister of State was keen to meet him.”

Mr Tharoor was the Minister of State for External Affairs at that time.

“In retrospect, it is clear that the name was included because the gentleman in question was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the Minister of State was keen to meet him,” Mr Puri said.

“Language has frequently been accorded pride of place amongst major arts of deception. Some of my friends in the Congress party excel in obfuscation; but they tweet at their own peril,” Mr Puri, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said in a post on X.

The matter began on December 15 when an X user who identified himself as a BJP worker from Karnataka showed Mr Tharoor an old post from 2009 in which Mr Tharoor wrote, “Met old friend George Soros, upbeat about India and curious about our neighbourhood. He’s far more than an investor: a concerned world citizen.”

George Soros is a controversial figure for Indians due to the anti-India rhetoric he used a few years ago. The ruling BJP has often accused top leaders of the opposition Congress for allegedly colluding with George Soros to destabilise the country, including using the West’s deep state — agencies and personnel, academics and think tanks — which finds expression in the western media.

Responding to the BJP worker, Mr Tharoor in a long post on X said he met George Soros “at the home of then-Ambassador and now-BJP Minister Hardeep Puri when I was visiting NY as MoS MEA.”

“Amb Puri had invited a number of prominent Americans for a dinner discussion with me (and that was entirely appropriate). I have not been in touch with Mr Soros since, nor be with me, and my old relationship never had any political connotations,” Mr Tharoor said.

Mr Tharoor said George Soros was a friend in the social sense. “I have never received or solicited a penny from him or any of his foundations for myself or any institution or cause I supported,” the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

Since there is so much unhealthy curiosity about this tweet, I knew Mr Soros well in my @UN days as an upstanding international-minded resident of New York. He was a friend in the social sense: i have never received or solicited a penny from him or any of his foundations for… https://t.co/c1PmAHygyl

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 15, 2024

On Friday, Mr Puri shot back at Mr Tharoor with a long post on X that added context to the situation when George Soros came to a dinner where the two then-diplomats were present.

“My friend Dr Shashi Tharoor ji, who was a student in St Stephen’s College in DU when I was a member of the teaching faculty, had arrived in New York as MoS External Affairs shortly after I was posted as India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative at UN. I hosted him and his companion at a briefing breakfast on 11 October 2009, and then for dinner on the evening of 12 October 2009,” Mr Puri said.

“Since I was just a few months old in the city then, but Dr Tharoor had spent considerable time in New York, I did not choose the list of invitees for the dinner. It was given to me by Minister Tharoor,” he said.

“Apart from members of the diplomatic fraternity I noticed the name of Mr Soros in the list and I clearly remember bringing it up with the then Minister, who had also met him in May 2009 and even tweeted about it. That is the only time in my life when I met Mr Soros. When Dr Tharoor tweeted about the dinner, I called him on 15 December to remind him of the context. Normally he is very prompt, but this time he didn’t take my call,” the Union Minister said.

“In retrospect, it is clear that the name was included because the gentleman in question was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the Minister of State was keen to meet him,” Mr Puri said.

Language has frequently been accorded pride of place amongst major arts of deception.
Some of my friends in the Congress Party excel in obfuscation; but they tweet at their own peril.

I want to take up two issues raised by them.
First – my friend Dr @ShashiTharoor Ji, who was a… pic.twitter.com/sIWc2omjg8

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 20, 2024

All this campaign against backsliding of democracy in India and capture of institutions curbs on freedom of press. In other words, create a narrative globally, which would, to the extent it can be effective on the ground, damage India and India’s prospects of attracting foreign investment and everything else by giving the impression that India is sliding into a kind of a political and administrative system which is not very conducive to Western values,” he said.  

India’s former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, in an interview to NDTV on December 9, had said there seems to be a campaign going on against backsliding of democracy in India, capture of institutions, and curbs on freedom of press.

“In other words, create a narrative globally, which would, to the extent it can be effective on the ground, damage India and India’s prospects of attracting foreign investment and everything else by giving the impression that India is sliding into a kind of a political and administrative system which is not very conducive to Western values,” Mr Sibal said.

New Delhi:

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that Russia has become the largest supplier of crude oil to India, accounting for more than 35 per cent of the country’s imports.

Speaking at the FIPI Oil and Gas Awards Ceremony, the minister highlighted the dramatic shift in India’s oil sourcing over the past two years, with Russian oil imports surging from a mere 0.2 per cent in February 2022 to consistently occupying the top spot in recent months.

“For quite some time now, Russia has been the largest supplier of crude to India. The percentage would be upwards of 35 per cent, but it varies from month to month,” Mr Puri stated. He noted that the increase is influenced by global price dynamics and availability, with India balancing long-term contracts with spot market purchases.

“It was as little as 0.2 per cent in February of 2022, but then it went up. How it will stay and where it will go, I keep saying these are not decisions that the Ministry takes. Our oil marketing companies, floor tenders for particular grades of crude,” he added.

Mr Puri also emphasized the evolving nature of India’s energy partnerships, mentioning other significant suppliers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United States.

“For some countries, they have long-term agreements, for others, they are buying on the spot and then it becomes a function of price, etc. In the foreseeable future, the major suppliers, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, United States are big suppliers now. More and more energy is coming on the global scene,” the Union Minister said.

Further, talking about India’s progress in the energy sector, Hardeep Singh Puri stated that is evident in key achievements such as the reduction of fuel prices over a three-year reference period, making India the only country globally to achieve this.

“LPG cylinder prices in India are among the lowest worldwide, with costs as low as Rs 6/day for PMUY households and Rs 14/day for non-PMUY households. Furthermore, India is on track to increase its exploration acreage to one million square kilometres by 2030, with a 16 per cent increase expected by 2025,” he said.

The Union Minister also highlighted the government’s success in increasing ethanol blending in petrol, from 1.53 per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent in 2024, with the goal of reaching 20 per cent next year.

“This achievement places India as the second-largest economy in biofuel blending, following Brazil. The expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) coverage was also underscored, with 100 per cent CGD area coverage expected in 2024, compared to just 5.5 per cent in 2014,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri
| Photo Credit: Manvender Vashist Lav

S.E. Sudheendra, Chairman, Karnataka State Bioenergy Development Board, called on Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri in Delhi on November 11. 

During the discussion, Mr. Sudheendra urged the Minister to include KSBDB as a member in the National Bioenergy Co-Ordination Committee. He also appealed to the Minister to appoint the Board as a nodal agency for the petroleum and gas ministry. 

Pune:

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday called to build consensus over bringing petrol, diesel under the Goods and Services Tax.

While delivering a lecture on “Strategy and Measures for Enhancing India’s Energy Security in the Coming Decade” at the Pune International Centre’s (PIC) 14th Foundation Day lecture, he said, “I have heard a suggestion to bring petrol and diesel under GST, now petrol and diesel under GST is something that I have been advocating for a long period of time. Now I am very sure that my senior colleague, the finance minister, has also spoken about bringing fuel under GST on several occasions.”

To enhance its energy security, India needs to focus on strategic petroleum reserves and prioritise exploration and production to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fuel.

Mr Puri highlighted that with a population of 1.4 billion and energy consumption projected to be three times the global average, India is positioned to be a key player in the global energy landscape. Over the next two decades, he noted, India is expected to contribute to 25 percent of the world’s increase in energy consumption.

Mr Puri emphasised that achieving this requires unanimous approval from all states and acknowledges the challenges in getting states on board, as petrol and diesel are significant revenue generators for them.

In fact, he pointed out that states are unlikely to agree to this move, as liquor and energy are major revenue sources.

To make this happen, the states need to initiate the process, and the central government is ready to cooperate. Mr Puri highlighted that the Kerala High Court had suggested discussing this issue in the GST Council, but the finance minister of Kerala didn’t agree.

He said that non-BJP states are not willing to forego the additional VAT.

“The Kerala High Court, if I remember last year, had suggested that the GST council should take this up as in its agenda, and my recollection is that in a meeting in Allahabad, it came up in the meeting also , but as you know, the GST council works on the principle of consensus and unanimity and the state chief ministers have to agree. We are currently in the situation that BJP-ruled states have reduced their VAT, and non-BJP states are not even willing to forego the additional VAT, so I do not see that it is happening,” he added.

Reflecting on India’s long history in oil exploration, dating back to the discovery of crude oil in Digboi, Assam, in the 1880s, he said the government’s clearance for the exploitation of one million square kilometres of sedimentary basin sends a positive signal to investors.

He identified three primary challenges to energy security: availability, affordability, and the transition to renewable energy sources. Union Minister also mentioned that while green hydrogen represents the fuel of the future, its success depends on local demand and production, and that technological advancements could help overcome associated cost challenges.

On global oil markets, he noted that there is no shortage of oil globally, but rising geopolitical tensions could lead to increased oil prices. He added that traditional oil cartels will have less influence as new energy sources emerge.

In his closing remarks, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, President, PIC, reiterated the importance of reducing India’s fuel import bill and advancing renewable energy initiatives.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri held a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffery Pyatt on the sidelines of GasTech 2024 in Houston.

The two leaders reviewed the existing energy cooperation and agreed to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across the energy value chain for “just and orderly energy transition.”

During the meeting, Mr Puri and Mr Pyatt discussed how the cooperation between two nations is strengthening in the energy sector due to collaboration between the institutions and companies from India and the US.

Sharing details regarding his meeting with Geoffery Pyatt, Hardeep Singh Puri stated, “Met my friend for more than three decades & US @AsstSecENR Mr Geoffery Pyatt at #GasTech2024 in Houston today.”

“We reviewed the existing energy cooperation & agreed to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across the energy value chain for just & orderly energy transition. Also discussed how our cooperation in energy sector is both broadening & deepening due to the excellent collaboration between the institutions & companies from both sides,” he added.

Met my friend for more than three decades & US @AsstSecENR Mr Geoffery Pyatt at #GasTech2024 in Houston today.
We reviewed the existing energy cooperation & agreed to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across the energy value chain for just & orderly energy… pic.twitter.com/SOrgaRA95A

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 17, 2024

Hardeep Singh Puri, who is on a visit to the US, inaugurated the India Pavilion at GasTech. He noted that the Indian companies present in GasTech event showcase their latest technological advancements, capabilities and future opportunities to collaborate and invest.

In a post on X, Mr Puri stated, “Delighted to inaugurate the India Pavilion which marks a strong presence of India’s energy sector entities at @GastechEvent, the world’s largest event for the natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, low-carbon solutions, and climate technology industry in Houston.”

“As India journeys towards energy self-sufficiency under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji, the Indian companies which are present in the premier event in large numbers showcase their latest technological advancements, capabilities and future opportunities to collaborate & invest,” he added.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas also joined a ministerial panel at GasTech 2024 alongside Egyptian Minister Karim Badawi, Nigeria’s Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo, Turkish Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffery Pyatt.

He stated that world, without India’s proactive approach, could have faced a more severe energy crisis. He noted that India’s energy demand is expected to rise at a compounded annual growth rate of about 3 per cent per annum by 2040 and it is estimated to double by 2050.

In a post on X, Mr Puri stated, “Delighted to join a Ministerial Panel with fellow Ministers from Egypt, HE Karim Badawi, Nigeria Rt Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo & Turkiye HE Alparslan Bayraktar & @AsstSecENR Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt, in a session on “From mitigation to adaptation: Navigating volatile geopolitics in a fragmenting global order” moderated by Prof. John Defterios, @NYUAbuDhabi at @GastechEvent, the world’s largest event for the natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, low-carbon solutions, and climate technology industry in Houston. I spoke about how the emerging markets are reshaping the global energy landscape with nearly 80 per cent of the increase in global energy demand by 2045 to come from emerging economies.”

“This surge in demand is driving substantial investments in both conventional and renewable energy sources. Without India’s proactive approach, the world could have faced an even more severe energy crisis. India is the world’s fastest growing large economy, consuming about 5 mb/d of crude, 67 million people visit petrol pumps every day in India. India’s energy demand is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of about 3% per annum by 2040 and it is estimated to double by 2050. India has adopted a pragmatic & balanced approach that underscores climate commitments while safeguarding national interests under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji,” he added.

Highlighting measures taken by India to increase domestic production, Mr Puri in a post on X further said, “We have taken several measures to enhance domestic production, diversify the supplies, accelerated adoption of low carbon solutions like biofuels, EVs & Hydrogen. Our initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) illustrate the power of global partnerships in accelerating clean energy deployment.”

Earlier on Monday, Hardeep Singh Puri and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm convened the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial, where they welcomed the progress made under the partnership to drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security, and accelerate clean energy transitions.

During the meeting in Washington, DC, on Monday, the two sides reviewed the initiatives undertaken across the technical pillars under the SCEP, including Power and Energy Efficiency, Responsible Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Emerging Fuels and Technologies, and Sustainable Growth.

“The ministers welcomed progress made under the partnership to drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security, and accelerate clean energy transitions, including through more focused efforts on clean energy manufacturing and building resilient, responsible, stable, secure and diversified supply chains,” the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court today directed Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Saket Gokhale, to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages in a defamation case filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Puri. The court also issued additional instructions, including a public apology on social media which must remain on his handle for at least six months. 

The legal battle stems from tweets made Mr Gokhale on June 13 and June 26 in 2021. In these tweets, Gokhale alleged that Lakshmi Puri had purchased property in Switzerland disproportionate to her income. He also mentioned her husband, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri.

The court also ordered Mr Gokhale to publish his apology in a leading national newspaper, adding that the order must be complied with within eight weeks.

In her 2021 lawsuit, filed through the legal firm Karanjawala and Company, Lakshmi Puri accused Mr Gokhale of making “false and factually incorrect, per se defamatory, slanderous, and libellous statements/imputations” against her and her family. She argued that Mr Gokhale’s claims about her income were baseless, as she was on deputation from the Government of India to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In 2021, Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Lakshmi Puri, argued that the tweets were defamatory, malicious, and based on false information. Mr Singh emphasized that Ms Puri did not hold any public office at the time, and hence, her private transactions should not have been subjected to public scrutiny without her consent. He criticised Mr Gokhale for not verifying the facts before making public allegations, describing his actions as an attack on Puri’s integrity.

On the other hand, Mr Gokhale’s counsel, Advocate Sarim Naved, contended that as a citizen, Mr Gokhale had the right to question the assets of public figures. Naved argued that the involvement of public money justified Mr Gokhale’s scrutiny of the transactions.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in a swipe at Rahul Gandhi after the exit polls indicated a massive NDA victory “advised” the Congress leader to start preparing for the general elections in 2029 and 2034.

Mr Puri said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s “self-certification” of giving 295 seats to the Opposition bloc INDIA will evaporate when the results come out.

“If he thinks INDIA alliance is getting 295, give him another 48 hours to indulge in a little more illusion, self belief, and then he will discover on the 4th that he was living in a make believe world,” Mr Singh told NDTV in an interview today.

He said all the exit polls are pointing at only one direction. Citing from experience in 2014 and 2019, he said he is confident the BJP will by itself get over 340 seats.

“I think we are even close to 350-plus by ourselves. Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, is just throwing around drawing-room conversation… They have also collapsed. Aam Aadmi Party has been wiped out in Delhi. In Punjab, they are almost wiped out. Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, look at what the exit polls are saying,” Mr Singh said.

On Rahul Gandhi, Mr Singh said, “He is still young. He has 2029 and 2034 to look forward to.”

After a marathon Lok Sabha elections 2024 – spread over six weeks, the second-longest general election since 1951-52 – a big win for the ruling BJP-led NDA has been predicted by twelve exit polls – India Today- Axis My India (361-401), News 24-Today’s Chanakya (400), ABP News-C Voter (353-383), Republic Bharat- P Marq (359), India News- D-Dyanamics (371), Republic Bharat- Matrize (353-368), Dainik Bhaskar (281-350), News Nation (342-378), TV 9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat (342), Times Now-ETG (358), India TV- CNX (362-392) and Jan Ki Baat (362-392).

The exit polls have also predicted NDA dominance in Karnataka and Maharashtra and Left-led alliance’s rout in Kerala. In Bengal, the exit polls predicted a better performance for the BJP than it did the last time (22). Most exit polls have said that the BJP will now be the single-largest party in Bengal in terms of Lok Sabha seats.