India has showcased robust preparedness to navigate global energy volatility while cementing its role at the centre of international energy dialogue. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri summed up at the Closing Ceremony of India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 in Goa.
Speaking during the closing fireside chat, Puri highlighted India’s strategic approach to energy: diversification, resilience, and forward-looking transitions. “India has coped very well with successive geopolitical shocks. Each challenge has been converted into an opportunity—through diversification of supply sources and a rapid transition towards cleaner fuels,” he said.
The Minister also underscored India’s growing global energy stature. “India will continue to ensure availability, affordability and sustainability of energy, even amid global uncertainty,” he added, noting the country is now the world’s third-largest energy consumer, fourth-largest refiner, and a leading exporter of petroleum products.
Following Puri, Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, outlined a roadmap supporting India’s projected economic growth of over 7 percent. He stressed strengthening domestic exploration and production to boost energy self-reliance, while positioning India as a dependable global supplier of refined products.
Mittal also highlighted the transformative role of digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and logistics optimisation in improving efficiency and resilience across the energy value chain.
IEW 2026 concluded with awards celebrating innovation, technological excellence, and leadership across startups, academia, and industry.
Under AVINYA – The Energy Startup Challenge, Minimines Cleantech Solutions won for its proprietary HHM process enabling low-carbon recovery of high-value materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, with applications extending to solar panels, catalytic converters, and permanent magnets.
The VASUDHA – Overseas Upstream Startup Challenge was claimed by SENERGETICS, The Netherlands, for its AI-driven corrosion monitoring solutions enhancing safety, reliability, and sustainability in upstream operations.
The Hackathon Challenge went to IIT Bombay for Aura, an AI-powered unified reservoir analysis platform integrating advanced machine learning to improve exploration and production decisions.
Industry excellence was recognised through the FIPI/IIP Annual Awards: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was named Exploration Company of the Year, Oil India Limited earned Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year (Over 1 MTOE), and Reliance Industries Limited’s SEZ Refinery at Jamnagar was named Refinery of the Year.
Innovation leadership was jointly awarded to Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s R&D Division and Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited’s Innovation Center.
India Energy Week 2026 reinforced India’s position as a steady, credible, and pragmatic energy leader—balancing energy security, affordability, and sustainability while fostering innovation and global collaboration across the energy ecosystem.
