IEW 2026 concludes with strong affirmation of India’s energy leadership amid geopolitical flux – Indian PSU
India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 concluded on a high note in Goa, reaffirming India’s growing stature as a resilient and globally influential energy leader amid sustained geopolitical volatility.
Addressing the Closing Ceremony, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said India has demonstrated strong preparedness to navigate global energy disruptions while remaining firmly at the centre of international energy dialogue.
Speaking during a fireside chat, the Minister emphasised that India’s energy strategy is anchored in diversification, resilience and forward-looking transitions.
“India has coped very well with successive geopolitical shocks. Each challenge has been converted into an opportunity—through diversification of supply sources and a rapid transition towards cleaner fuels,” Puri said.
Highlighting India’s expanding global footprint, he noted that the country is now the world’s third-largest energy consumer, fourth-largest refiner, and among the leading exporters of petroleum products.
“India will continue to ensure availability, affordability and sustainability of energy, even amid global uncertainty,” he added.
Following the Minister’s address, Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, outlined the government’s roadmap to support India’s projected economic growth of over 7 percent. He stressed the importance of strengthening domestic exploration and production to enhance energy self-reliance, while also positioning India as a dependable global supplier of refined petroleum products.
Dr Mittal further highlighted the increasing role of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and logistics optimisation in improving efficiency and resilience across the energy value chain.
The final day of IEW 2026 also marked the culmination of multiple award programmes recognising innovation, technological excellence and leadership across startups, academia and industry.
Under AVINYA – The Energy Startup Challenge, Minimines Cleantech Solutions emerged as the winner for its proprietary HHM process enabling low-carbon recovery of high-value materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, with applications extending to solar panels, catalytic converters and permanent magnets.
The VASUDHA – Overseas Upstream Startup Challenge was won by Netherlands-based SENERGETICS for its AI-driven corrosion monitoring solutions aimed at improving safety, reliability and sustainability in upstream operations.
The Hackathon Challenge was secured by IIT Bombay for Aura, an AI-powered unified reservoir analysis platform integrating advanced machine learning to enhance exploration and production decision-making.
Industry excellence was recognised through the FIPI/IIP Annual Awards. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was named Exploration Company of the Year, while Oil India Limited received the Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year (Over 1 MTOE) award. Reliance Industries Limited’s SEZ Refinery at Jamnagar was honoured as Refinery of the Year, and innovation leadership was jointly awarded to Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s R&D Division and Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited’s Innovation Center.
India Energy Week 2026 concluded by reinforcing India’s position as a steady, credible and pragmatic energy leader—capable of balancing energy security, affordability and sustainability—while fostering innovation and global collaboration across the energy ecosystem.
