Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: India is projected to be the largest contributor to global oil demand growth till 2050, according to the World Oil Outlook 2025 presented by Dr. Abderrezak Benyoucef, Head, Energy Studies Department, Research Division, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), at India Energy Week 2026 being organised in Goa from 27th to 30th January 2026.

Presenting OPEC’s flagship long-term outlook on the Resilience Stage on the second day of the event, Dr. Benyoucef stated that India alone is expected to add 8.2 million barrels per day of oil demand by 2050. This growth will be driven primarily by transportation, petrochemicals and industrial activity. At the global level, oil demand is projected to continue rising over the medium and long term, reaching nearly 123 million barrels per day by 2050, with demand growth concentrated in non-OECD regions.

The report projects India to be the largest and most stable contributor to global primary energy demand growth. India’s total primary energy demand is expected to almost double, increasing from around 22 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024 to about 43.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2050.

Globally, primary energy demand is projected to increase by 23 per cent over the same period, rising from about 308 million barrels of oil equivalent per day to around 378 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, with non-OECD countries accounting for nearly 72 percent of total demand by 2050.

On the economic front, The OECD report said that India is expected to emerge as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with average annual GDP growth of around 5.8 per cent between 2024 and 2050. India’s share of global GDP is projected to rise from about 8 percent in 2024 to 17 percent by 2050, significantly increasing its influence on global energy markets. Globally, economic growth over the outlook period is expected to be driven primarily by non-OECD countries.

The report said that demographic trends will consolidate India’s central role in future energy demand. India, already the world’s most populous country, will continue to anchor global population growth and rising energy consumption. At the global level, population is projected to increase by around 1.5 billion by 2050, with almost all growth occurring in non-OECD countries, alongside increasing urbanisation and improving living standards.

The Outlook underscores the need for sustained investment to meet rising demand and offset natural decline rates. Globally, cumulative oil-related investment requirements are estimated at around USD 18.2 trillion between 2025 and 2050, including nearly USD 15 trillion in upstream investment.

About India Energy Week

India Energy Week is the country’s flagship global energy platform, bringing together government leaders, industry executives and innovators to advance a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. As a neutral international forum, IEW catalyses investment, policy alignment and technological collaboration shaping the global energy landscape.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi, 27 January 2026: A distinguished group of envoys and senior officials from 18 foreign missions visited PM Vishwakarma Haat 2026, an artisan-centric exhibition hosted by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. The visiting dignitaries, including Ambassadors and High Commissioners from countries such as Algeria, Belarus, Cameroon, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guyana, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru, Somalia, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan and Venezuela, explored India’s traditional craftsmanship and engaged with artisans participating in the event.

Organised under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, the Haat has been open to the public since 18 January and will run through 31 January 2026, welcoming visitors daily from 10:30 AM to 10 PM. The exhibition aims to create a vibrant marketplace where skilled craftspeople from across India can present their handmade products, interact with buyers, and access broader market opportunities.

At the event, Danish Ashraf, Joint Development Commissioner of the Office of the Development Commissioner (MSME), greeted the international guests and outlined the goals of the PM Vishwakarma initiative. He emphasised the programme’s focus on uplifting artisans by enhancing visibility and income through structured support and market exposure.

Dr. Rajneesh, Additional Secretary & Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, provided the visiting delegations with an overview of key MSME programmes, highlighting how these schemes contribute to job creation, entrepreneurial growth and inclusive economic development. He expressed appreciation for the global representatives’ interest in India’s craft sector.

The Haat also featured dynamic cultural presentations from Assam, Rajasthan, Punjab and Ladakh, infusing the exhibition with rich artistic performances that reflect the diversity of India’s cultural heritage.

The event’s closing remarks were delivered by Anuja Bapat, Deputy Director General, Office of the Development Commissioner (MSME). She reiterated the importance of platforms like PM Vishwakarma Haat in connecting traditional artisans with national and international stakeholders and fostering sustainable livelihoods.

Over 117 artisans representing all States and Union Territories are participating in the Haat, offering a broad spectrum of traditional handicrafts and skills. By presenting Indian craftsmanship on both national and international stages, PM Vishwakarma Haat 2026 underscores the Government of India’s commitment to preserving cultural legacy while promoting economic empowerment for grassroots artisanal communities.

Vinod Bhat

NEW DELHI, January 28 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, today said that India is ready to play a larger global role in Artificial Intelligence (AI) -led climate action.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the “Technology and Innovation Conclave 2.0”, organised by “Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology” (APCTT) and DSIR, at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi, on Wednesday.

However, the Minister hastened to add, Artificial Intelligence must be deployed alongside human judgement, institutional cooperation and global partnerships if it is to effectively address climate change and build resilience against extreme weather events.

Speaking at the Technology and Innovation Conclave 2.0, jointly organised by the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) Govt of India, Dr Jitendra Singh said climate change was “too serious a subject to be left to one nation alone” and could not be mitigated unless countries worked together across borders.

The conclave, themed “AI for Climate Action and Resilience”, opened with the introduction of innovators and startups, followed by a high-level inaugural session that brought together senior Indian officials and United Nations representatives, reflecting the growing convergence between national science priorities and global climate action. Speakers highlighted the role of technology, international cooperation and innovation ecosystems in responding to climate challenges faced by vulnerable regions.

As part of the programme, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the exhibition of innovations, walked through the displays and interacted with young innovators from participating member states. He later presented awards to winners of a hackathon focused on AI-driven solutions for climate and resilience challenges.

During the inaugural session, DSIR and APCTT formally announced the launch of “SANKALP” (Synergy for Advanced Networks, Knowledge, and Academia–Industry Learning Progress), a new lecture series aimed at strengthening structured engagement between academia, industry and policymakers, and accelerating the translation of research into real-world applications.

In his address, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the era of working in silos was over, stressing that climate action required collaboration across scientific disciplines, public and private sectors, and even between science and non-science institutions. Innovation, he said, could no longer succeed in isolation and needed early and sustained linkages with industry, markets and technology transfer mechanisms.

Highlighting India’s evolving global role, the Minister said the country was no longer inward-looking and was increasingly expected to contribute ideas and solutions to international efforts on climate and technology. India’s geographic diversity, he noted, offered a unique advantage in studying climate impacts and developing adaptable solutions that could be shared with other countries.

Dr. Jitendra Singh linked artificial intelligence with India’s broader technology roadmap, noting that the country was among the early movers in emerging areas such as quantum technologies, having already launched a national quantum mission. Artificial intelligence, he said, was similarly transformative and had become critical for analysing climate data, forecasting disasters and managing resources.

Citing practical examples, the Minister said AI-based models were already being used in disaster response and environmental monitoring, including the analysis of extreme weather events. He also referred to the use of AI in healthcare, where diagnostics that earlier took days could now be completed in minutes, and in drug trials, where technology was improving both speed and precision.

At the same time, Dr. Jitendra Singh issued a clear caution against blind or uncritical use of artificial intelligence. Drawing from governance experiences, he said systems driven entirely by AI often failed to meet public expectations, even when disposal rates were high. He emphasised the importance of hybrid models that combine artificial intelligence with human oversight, judgement and empathy.

Illustrating this approach, the Minister referred to initiatives where AI-driven systems work alongside human professionals, including in healthcare delivery, to ensure better outcomes and public satisfaction. “One has to be intelligent enough to use artificial intelligence,” he said, underlining that technology should be treated as an essential tool rather than a substitute for human responsibility.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also stressed the need for early linkage between innovation, academia, industry and technology transfer, warning that research without a clear application pathway risked remaining underutilised. Industry engagement, he said, should begin at the innovation stage itself rather than after technologies were developed.

In this context, he highlighted the role of CSIR as one of the few institutions globally that integrates innovation, academic research, technology transfer and industry engagement within a single framework, making it well placed to drive mission-oriented science aligned with national priorities.

Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, described the conclave as a significant milestone for both DSIR and APCTT, noting that the second edition reflected a growing and structured partnership focused on AI for climate action and resilience. She said artificial intelligence should be viewed as a powerful tool guided by human and natural intelligence, enabling better understanding of climate impacts. Highlighting the international character of the conclave, she said APCTT’s network spanning 53 member states and nine associate states had enabled participation from delegates of nine countries, underscoring the importance of cross-border collaboration. She called for responsible research and urged that the outcomes of the conclave be assessed in measurable terms to guide future initiatives.

Concluding his remarks, the Minister said the real value of the conclave would lie in the outcomes it generated and expressed his expectation that the discussions would lead to concrete conclusions and actionable directions for future collaboration in AI-driven climate action.

The high-level inaugural session was attended by senior government and United Nations officials, including UN Resident Coordinator for India Stefan Priesner, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. M. Ravichandran, Head of APCTT Dr. Preeti Soni, Joint Secretary, DSIR Mahendra Kumar Gupta, and senior officials and scientists from DSIR and CSIR.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: A high-level Leadership Panel on the inaugural day of India Energy Week 2026 brought together global energy leaders to examine the evolving role of natural gas and LNG in strengthening energy resilience, supporting economic growth and enabling a realistic and inclusive energy transition amid geopolitical uncertainty.

The panel, titled “Repositioning Natural Gas and Energy Transformation: Pragmatic Bridging Resource to Pivotal Destination Fuel,” featured Shri Arvinder Singh Sahney, Chairman, IndianOil Corporation Limited, Shri Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited, Ms Fatema Al Nuaimi, CEO, ADNOC Gas, and Mr Steven Kobos, President & CEO, Excelerate Energy.

Panelists underscored that natural gas and LNG are increasingly emerging as long-term, foundational components of modern energy systems. With global gas demand projected to increase by 30–35% by 2050, the panel highlighted coal-to-gas switching as the most tangible near-term pathway to reduce emissions while preserving grid stability.

From India’s perspective, speakers noted the country’s rapidly expanding gas ecosystem, supported by growing domestic production, diversified LNG imports and continued investments in pipelines, terminals and city gas distribution. The panel earmarked natural gas for playing a critical role across fertilisers, transport fuels and urban energy access.

The discussion reinforced the view that the energy transition must be approached as energy addition rather than abrupt replacement, as highlighted by the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas earlier in the day. Properly abated gas-fired power generation, which is supported by efficiency improvements, methane mitigation and emerging carbon management technologies, was identified as an essential complement to renewables for providing flexibility, reliability and dispatchability in increasingly electrified systems.

The panel agreed that affordability of the fuel was a hurdle in its widespread adoption. Panelists stressed that natural gas and LNG must become more cost competitive not only to displace coal, but also to remain viable alongside renewables and alternative fuels.

The panel identified policy stability, supportive regulatory frameworks, access to long-term finance, reduced infrastructure costs and the development of a liquid and transparent global gas market key to accelerated uptake of natural gas. The panel also highlighted the importance of renewed upstream investment to address emerging global supply gaps.

Panelists also emphasised the importance of expanding LNG import capacity, regasification infrastructure, including floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), pipelines and last-mile connectivity to ensure that increased global supply translates into accessible and affordable energy.

About India Energy Week

India Energy Week is the country’s flagship global energy platform, bringing together government leaders, industry executives and innovators to accelerate progress toward a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. As a neutral international forum, IEW drives investment, policy alignment and technological collaboration shaping the global energy landscape.

UAE Delegation visits ICG facilities to strengthen regional maritime security

VINOD BHAT

NEW DELHI, Jan 28: A high-level delegation of the United Arab Emirates National Guard Command (UAE NGC) is on an official visit to India from January 26 to 31, 2026, with the objective of strengthening training cooperation and capacity-building initiatives with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The delegation is led by Brigadier Staff Khalid Obaid Thani Al Shamsi, Acting Commander, Coast Guard Group, UAE. According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Indian Coast Guard, Commandant Amit Uniyal, the visit reflects the growing strategic partnership between India and the UAE in the maritime security domain and aims to translate existing agreements into tangible outcomes.

During the visit, Brigadier Al Shamsi paid a courtesy call on the Director General, Indian Coast Guard, at New Delhi. This was followed by a bilateral meeting co-chaired by the Deputy Director General (Operations & Coastal Security), ICG, and the Acting Commander of the UAE National Guard Command.

“As per the Indian Coast Guard PRO, the discussions focused on modalities for enhancing mutual cooperation and further strengthening professional ties between the two maritime agencies,” the statement said.
The deliberations placed special emphasis on training collaboration, professional exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives across core Coast Guard functions, including maritime safety, coastal security, pollution response, and search and rescue operations.

As part of the programme, the UAE delegation is scheduled to visit key Indian Coast Guard training establishments in Chennai, notably the Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre (RMPRC) and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC).

According to the PRO, these visits are intended to familiarise the delegation with the training infrastructure, operational procedures, and curriculum offered by the Indian Coast Guard. The ICG regularly conducts specialised courses for personnel from Friendly Foreign Countries, covering critical areas such as Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC), MRCC operations, and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR).

Officials noted that the exposure will help identify new avenues for structured training engagement and institutional collaboration between the two forces, particularly in addressing shared maritime challenges in the region.

“The visit underscores the shared commitment of India and the UAE to operationalise the Memorandum of Understanding through structured training engagement and institutional cooperation,” the PRO said, adding that such engagements would further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation, while contributing to maritime safety and security in the wider region.

The Indian Coast Guard reiterated that the growing cooperation with the UAE National Guard Command reflects India’s role as a reliable partner in regional maritime capacity building and security cooperation.