India is producing record levels of energy to achieve self-reliance in the power sector, supported by a diversification of its supply sources, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at an industry event.
“India is producing more energy than ever before… With the rapidly growing demand for energy, India has diversified its energy sources. Earlier, we imported from 27 countries; today, we import from 40 countries,” Puri said.
Even for cooking gas, which was previously sourced predominantly from a single country, India has broadened its supply base. The country’s energy basket now includes biofuels, green hydrogen, and other renewable sources, the minister added.
Highlighting India’s growing energy demand, Puri noted that the country’s economy is expanding at roughly 6.5 per cent, while energy consumption is increasing six times faster than the global average. International agencies estimate that India will account for approximately 25 per cent of the global increase in energy demand over the next two decades.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is pursuing a significant drive for energy security. Even as consumption steadily grows, initiatives to strengthen and expand domestic production are underway,” Puri said.
India has made major strides in green hydrogen, allocating an annual production capacity of 862,000 tonnes to 19 companies. Additionally, 3,000 MW of annual electrolyser manufacturing capacity has been awarded to 15 firms.
The country has also emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets, with over 223 GW of installed capacity — including 108 GW from solar and 51 GW from wind — and is targeting 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
The minister earlier noted that the contribution of natural gas in India’s energy mix is expected to rise from 6 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.
–IANS
