Singapore, Global energy majors and investors took note of the multi-billion-dollar opportunities in India’s oil and gas and the reforms underpinning them at an India energy showcase held in Singapore on Monday.
Presentations at the event illustrated the ongoing exploration bid round, an industry perspective from BP Group in India and an overview of India Energy Week 2027. Director General, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons Srikant Nagulapall provided an overview of India’s hydrocarbon resource potential and the government’s exploration reforms, including Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Mission approved by the Cabinet on 31 July 2026 with an outlay of USD 8.85 billion through FY 2030-31. Nagulapall also drew attention to the ongoing OALP Round X and Round XI bidding rounds, with bids for deep and ultra-deepwater blocks closing on 17 September 2026. Key reforms highlighted included the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy , the Open Acreage Licensing Programme , the Discovered Small Field policy, the Coal Bed Methane programme, the Oilfields Amendment Act, 2025, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025. Together, these reforms have moved India from a production-sharing to a revenue-sharing fiscal model, opened over 99 per cent of previously restricted offshore acreage, and introduced statutory timelines for regulatory approvals. The event also showcased India Energy Week 2027, the government’s flagship international energy event, scheduled to take place from January 28-31, 2027 at the New Town Convention Centre, Kolkata.
Dube said 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 India Energy Showcase served as an important platform to engage international energy companies and investors, present India’s policy and regulatory reforms, and highlight the opportunities emerging across the country’s energy sector, the ministry said in a press release. The programme was presided over by Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas , and attended by senior officials. Deputy High Commissioner of India to Singapore, Sudhi Choudhary, underscored the depth of India-Singapore engagement in the energy sector and highlighted the opportunity for closer partnership between Indian and Singaporean companies across the oil and gas value chain. Led by Secretary Mittal, the presentation outlined significant investment opportunities across the value chain, spanning exploration and production, anchored by the government’s Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Mission, along with manufacturing under the Make in India initiative, refining and petrochemicals, midstream and gas infrastructure and strategic storage. The programme noted that India’s energy demand is growing three to four times faster than the global average, and outlined specific avenues for international participation across the value chain, including equity participation, joint ventures, technology partnerships and long-term supply arrangements. The event also highlighted the government’s continuing programme of exploration and production reforms aimed at creating a more investor-friendly regulatory framework and enhancing energy security through higher domestic production. BP India chairman Kartikeya Dube shared the group’s experience of operating and investing in India across upstream and downstream operations. BP’s upstream joint ventures include the KG-D6 block, where producing ultra-deepwater gas fields contribute a significant share of India’s domestic natural gas production, alongside a technical services partnership supporting the Mumbai High and Western Offshore fields. The presentation underscored the value of sustained collaboration between international energy companies and Indian stakeholders, and highlighted India’s forward-looking reforms as a key factor behind continued investment.
The event reaffirmed India’s commitment to fostering partnerships, attracting investment, and strengthening cooperation with global energy stakeholders, and concluded with an emphasis on continued engagement towards a secure, resilient and sustainable energy future, it said. Vinod Seshan, Joint Secretary Exploration, MoPNG, also attended the programme. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
