India showcases multi-billion-dollar oil and gas investment opportunities in Singapore

Singapore: Global energy leaders and international investors gathered in Singapore on Monday for an exclusive showcase highlighting multi-billion-dollar investment prospects within India's evolving oil and gas sector.

The high-level event was presided over by Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), alongside senior ministry officials. Sudhi Choudhary, Deputy High Commissioner of India to Singapore, emphasized the growing bilateral synergy in energy, pointing toward vast opportunities for joint ventures across the oil and gas value chain between Indian and Singaporean firms.

Secretary Mittal outlined broad investment avenues spanning exploration and production (E&P), refining, petrochemicals, gas infrastructure, strategic storage, and domestic manufacturing under the “Make in India” banner. The delegation noted that India’s energy consumption is accelerating at three to four times the global average rate, opening doors for international equity participation, technical collaborations, and long-term supply agreements.

During the technical presentations, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) Director General Srikant Nagulapall detailed the nation's hydrocarbon potential and key regulatory overhauls. Central to this is the Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Mission, backed by a government-approved budget of USD 8.85 billion through FY 2030–31. Nagulapall urged global firms to participate in the ongoing OALP Round X and XI bidding cycles, noting that bids for critical deep and ultra-deepwater blocks close on September 17, 2026.

Industry participant BP Group also shared its operational perspectives. BP India Chairman Kartikeya Dube highlighted the company's upstream joint ventures—notably the KG-D6 block—and technical services partnerships supporting Western Offshore and Mumbai High fields.

Dube remarked that BP recognised “the pace at which India's regulatory environment has evolved in recent years, and noted the government's continued willingness to engage with industry in advancing further reforms”.

The showcase spotlighted recent structural reforms designed to boost investor confidence, including the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), Discovered Small Field (DSF) policy, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) framework, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025, and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 2025. These measures have transitioned India to a revenue-sharing model, unlocked more than 99 percent of previously restricted offshore zones, and mandated strict statutory timelines for regulatory clearances.

In addition, delegates were briefed on the upcoming India Energy Week (IEW) 2027, the flagship international summit slated for January 28–31, 2027, at the New Town Convention Centre in Kolkata.

According to an official MoPNG press release, the showcase successfully served as a key platform to attract global investments and bolster cooperation toward building a secure, resilient, and sustainable energy framework. The event was also attended by Vinod Seshan, Joint Secretary (Exploration), MoPNG.

PTI