India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 commenced in Goa on Tuesday with a strong call for cooperation, resilience, and inclusive growth, as the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri outlined India’s expanding role in the global energy landscape. Delivering the Welcome Remarks and Inaugural Ceremony Keynote Address on Day One of the event, the Minister described IEW as a rapidly maturing global platform that brings together policy, industry, innovation, and leadership.
India Energy Week Emerges As Global Energy Platform
Welcoming international dignitaries, ministers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and members of the media, the Minister noted that the fourth edition of India Energy Week marks the first major international energy event of the calendar year. He said IEW 2026 reflects the steady evolution of the platform into one of the world’s most significant gatherings for energy dialogue and collaboration.
The scale of participation this year highlights that growth. IEW 2026 is hosting more than 75,000 energy professionals, representing a 36 percent increase over the 2024 Goa edition. Over 700 companies are exhibiting, a 57 percent rise compared to the previous Goa event, alongside 10 country pavilions and 11 thematic zones. Delegates from more than 120 countries are attending, while over 550 global speakers are participating in more than 110 strategic and technical sessions.
The Minister said the theme, “Energizing Growth, Securing Economies and Enriching Lives,” captures the central role energy plays in driving economic progress, strengthening resilience, and improving quality of life worldwide.
Global Energy Pressures & Persistent Inequities
Reflecting on changes since the last edition in New Delhi, the Minister said pressures on the global energy system have intensified due to geopolitical shifts and structural transformations. Emerging and developing economies now account for nearly 80 percent of incremental global energy demand, with Developing Asia contributing close to 60 percent.
At #IndiaEnergyWeek2026, ONGC, Goa.
The flagship global energy forum brings together leaders, innovators and policymakers to discuss pathways for energy security, sustainability and the future energy transition. https://t.co/WAZsHdv6o9
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 27, 2026
At the same time, energy access remains a major global challenge. Around 730 million people still lack electricity, while nearly two billion people continue to rely on harmful cooking methods, underscoring the need for universal, affordable, and clean energy solutions.
India’s Energy Path: Growth With Balance
The Minister underlined that while renewables have expanded rapidly—rising from about one-fifth to nearly one-third of global electricity generation—conventional energy sources remain essential. He stressed that the history of energy transitions has been driven by addition rather than replacement, and this reality continues to shape today’s transition.
As the world’s third-largest energy consumer and one of the fastest-growing major economies, India’s energy demand is expected to grow across all sources. By 2050, India’s share of global energy demand could reach around 10 percent, even as per capita consumption remains well below the global average.
The address highlighted major policy reforms, including amendments to upstream regulations, new bidding rounds for hydrocarbons, progress in deep-water exploration, price stability for consumers, and strong advances in ethanol blending, bioenergy, nuclear power, shipbuilding, and Global Capability Centres.
Call For Cooperation & Collective Progress
Concluding his address, the Minister said India recognises that rising energy demand in developing economies will increasingly shape global outcomes. He emphasised cooperation, innovation, and shared responsibility as key to building a secure, resilient, and inclusive energy future.
India Energy Week 2026, he said, offers a platform to convert dialogue into action and partnerships into delivery, with the potential to shape global energy solutions for decades to come.
