"India's Clean Cooking Fuel Story Replicable In Global South": Hardeep Puri At India Energy Week 2025

India is a shining example of affordable clean cooking gas for developing nations, and the Indian model can be replicated in countries of the Global South, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told NDTV today at the India Energy Week 2025 (IEW).

"Reasonably priced cooking medium is not a challenge in the West, it's not a challenge in the US and Europe but for countries in Africa, for countries of the Global South, it is a challenge and I think the Indian model where the developmental challenges are more akin to what the countries of the Global South have, I think that is a model that can be replicated," the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas said, adding India has decided to intensify negotiation over this.

"I'll give you an example. The Deputy Prime Minister of Tanzania wanted to have some more information. I introduced him to the chairman of IOCL [Indian Oil], and he said a Tanzanian oil company was already in touch with one of the vendors, and they already supplied a hundred thousand cooktops," Mr Puri said.

"So things are happening at a breakneck speed. Now the government will also focus on clean cooking gas and I think by the time we have the next ministerial meeting in Goa for the IEW, we'll be able to give a concrete shape to it," Mr Puri said.

The IEW exhibition has grown exponentially to become the world's new meeting place for energy professionals, with millions of dollars of business conducted onsite, positioning it at the very heart of international business.

A key facilitator of dialogue between international and regional producers, the event provides international exhibitors with the opportunity to network with key buyers from over 120 countries across the full energy value chain.

On India and Qatar's relationship with regards to liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Union Minister said India has a long-term agreement with Qatar which will last till 2028, and another has been signed to add 20 more years to the agreement.

"... In any discussion on a growing economy, some economy which is growing at 6.5-6.8 per cent, energy becomes a very vital component... I think Qatar is in the market for more sales of LNG, we are in the market for more purchases, but these are commercial agreements which will be discussed during visits," Mr Puri said.

"As far as the US is concerned, we are already buying $20 billion of energy with them. The fact that the newly elected president of the US wants more energy to come into the world market for energy to be more competitively priced, I mean that's something that India looks forward to," Mr Puri said.