IBNS-CMEDIA: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday held a roundtable with top Japanese industry leaders in Tokyo, focusing on expanding Indo-Japanese cooperation across the energy value chain.
Puri said India’s growing energy demand, large-scale infrastructure push, and reform-driven policies—combined with Japan’s technological strengths—create a “natural partnership” for developing secure and sustainable energy systems in the Indo-Pacific.
He noted that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan in August, both countries adopted the India–Japan Joint Vision for the Next Decade. Building on the progress toward the 2022–26 target of JPY 5 trillion in Japanese investment, the two nations have now set a more ambitious goal of JPY 10 trillion (about USD 68 billion) in private investment.
Puri said India is opening up more than USD 500 billion in opportunities in exploration and production, LNG, city gas distribution, hydrogen, new fuels, and shipping. He added that India’s young workforce and “Make in India for the World” ecosystem offer strong potential for Japanese investors.
Japan, he said, brings advanced industrial systems, high-quality infrastructure capabilities and global leadership in green technologies—making the partnership complementary.
The Minister underlined that India’s policy landscape has evolved with 100% FDI in key energy segments, transparent bidding and year-round exploration licensing, which together create an investor-friendly environment.
He said India’s six major oil and gas PSUs posted combined revenues of about USD 315 billion in FY 2024–25—around 8% of India’s GDP—reflecting India’s scale and reliability as a long-term energy partner.
Puri also highlighted India’s USD 72-billion natural gas infrastructure expansion, calling it a major area of synergy with Japan’s expertise, particularly in integrating gas with emerging solutions such as hydrogen.
