**Tokyo, Japan** — In a significant development at the Tokyo Industry Meet, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, outlined the burgeoning opportunities for Indo-Japanese partnerships in the energy sector. The Minister’s discussions with top Japanese industry leaders focused on collaborative strategies across the energy value chain, aiming to enhance energy security and sustainability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Emphasizing the synergy between India’s rapid infrastructure development and Japan’s technological prowess, Minister Puri highlighted the alignment of strategic interests following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Japan. The visit culminated in the adoption of the India-Japan Joint Vision for the Next Decade, setting a new investment target of JPY 10 trillion (~USD 68 billion) from Japan to India, signaling a robust future for bilateral economic relations.
Minister Puri detailed India’s liberalized energy policies, including 100% FDI in energy sectors and a continuous open licensing regime, crafted to attract substantial Japanese investment. With India poised to become a pivotal global energy market, he noted the country’s readiness for over USD 500 billion in investments across various segments, including LNG, hydrogen, and renewable energies.
Highlighting India’s role as the third-largest global oil consumer, Minister Puri pointed to the country’s projected responsibility for 30% of the incremental global energy demand over the next two decades. He showcased India’s extensive USD 72 billion investment in expanding its natural gas infrastructure as a prime area for leveraging Japanese technological expertise, particularly in integrating gas with emerging energy solutions like hydrogen.
The roundtable also served as a platform to reaffirm the long-standing Indo-Japanese trust, illustrated by historical collaborations such as the transformative Maruti-Suzuki partnership. Minister Puri encouraged Japanese industries to engage with India’s dynamic energy landscape, assuring comprehensive support from the Indian government to facilitate and nurture deeper bilateral cooperation.
This meeting marks a pivotal moment for both nations, promising to usher in a new era of industrial and economic growth powered by shared goals for a sustainable and secure energy future in the Indo-Pacific.
