On the second day of India Energy Week 2026, industry leaders and policymakers focused on the critical pillars shaping India’s energy transition, including LNG affordability, robust City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks, electrification, and long-term energy demand. Across high-level panels and discussions, speakers highlighted India’s growing role as a global energy driver and the importance of coordinated policy, investment, and technological innovation.
During the Leadership Panel on Managing Global LNG Supply and Demand Dynamics, Akshay Kumar Singh, Managing Director and CEO, Petronet LNG, underscored that affordability is key to expanding natural gas adoption in India, particularly across transport, power generation, and city gas distribution. He noted that LNG prices in the range of USD 6–7/MMBtu are essential to attract new consumers and enable a stable, long-term demand trajectory.
In a riveting discussion later in the day, the Leadership Panel on Establishing Global Models for City Gas Distribution Networks explored the drivers for expanding CGD networks. Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited, highlighted the importance of pipeline connectivity, network scale, and coordinated trunk and city-level planning to ensure operational efficiency, reliability, and affordability.
Abhilesh Gupta, MD and CEO, Indraprastha Gas Limited, shared insights from mature CGD markets, emphasizing PNG and CNG expansion, safety standards, and consumer trust as key enablers for sustained adoption. Suresh Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas Limited, called for coordinated messaging between policymakers and industry, proposing a “Prajjwala” approach to move beyond access toward sustained use of cleaner fuels.
During an insightful presentation, Dr. Abderrezak Benyoucef, Head, Energy Studies Department, Research Division, OPEC, delved into the details of the World Oil Outlook 2025, projecting India as the largest contributor to global energy demand growth through 2050. India is expected to add 8.2 million barrels per day of oil demand by 2050, driven by transportation, industrial activity, and petrochemicals.
The report projects India’s primary energy demand to nearly double, with oil, gas, and renewables complementing each other in a balanced energy mix.
The Outlook also emphasised India’s central role in global economic growth, demographic trends, and energy consumption, reinforcing the need for continued investment in upstream, midstream, and downstream infrastructure.
The Leadership Panel at the Transition Stage on Transitioning to an Electrostate explored the centrality of electricity in India’s economic growth, energy security, and decarbonization efforts.
Panelists, including H.E. Ahmed Al Kaabi (UAE), Naveen Srivastava (Power Grid Corporation of India), Ghanshyam Prasad (Central Electricity Authority), Suman Chandra (MNRE), and Prince Dhawan (REC Limited), highlighted electrification, grid expansion, and digitalisation as critical enablers of a clean and resilient energy system.
H.E. Ahmed Al Kaabi emphasised partnerships, innovation, and decentralised energy systems in enhancing grid resilience.
Prince Dhawan detailed the transformation of India’s power distribution sector through initiatives under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), noting that results-linked investments, smart metering, and governance reforms are strengthening the operational and financial health of distribution companies, enabling smarter and more resilient grids.
