Goa is usually associated with beaches and holidays. But this week, this quaint tourist state with rich Portuguese history became the centre stage for India’s move to sustainable energy partnerships. The India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 opened in Goa on Tuesday with a clear message: the world’s energy transition will only succeed if it is backed by steady investment, wider partnerships and a realistic approach that keeps fuel affordable for growing economies like India.
At the inaugural session, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, UAE minister and ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant set the tone for the week‑long conclave. Puri said India has managed recent global shocks without fuel shortages by diversifying suppliers and pushing reforms, and argued that the transition should be seen as “energy addition” across oil, gas, biofuels, green hydrogen, LNG and clean cooking fuels rather than abrupt replacement of existing sources.
He highlighted new exploration rounds, the opening of more sedimentary basins and a policy push that together offer an investment opportunity of around $500 billion across India’s energy value chain.
Sawant showcased Goa’s plan to move to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050 and spoke about balancing a green economy with a “blue economy” that uses ocean resources responsibly.
Security and cooperation in a volatile world
A high‑level ministerial panel on day one brought together Puri, Canada’s energy minister Tim Hodgson and International Energy Forum Secretary General Jassim Al Shirawi to discuss energy security in an uncertain world.
They together stressed that rising demand from emerging economies and geopolitical tensions have made secure, affordable and sustainable energy a core part of economic resilience, and that no single transition model fits all countries.
While Puri highlighted that India will keep expanding natural gas in its energy mix while insisting that producers and consumers work together to keep markets stable, Hodgson called for “trusted partnerships” and diversified supply chains. Here, Al Shirawi warned that underinvestment, grid bottlenecks and concentrated supply chains could threaten energy security even as renewables grow.
A separate leadership panel argued that natural gas and LNG will remain central to cutting emissions, with global gas demand projected to rise 30–35 per cent by 2050. Executives from IndianOil, GAIL, ADNOC Gas and US firm Excelerate Energy said coal‑to‑gas switching is the most practical near‑term way to reduce emissions while keeping the grid stable, but cautioned that gas must become more affordable and supported by pipelines, LNG terminals and last‑mile networks.
India–Canada ties
On the sidelines, India and Canada relaunched their Ministerial Energy Dialogue and signed a joint statement pledging deeper trade in LNG, LPG and crude from Canada to India, and refined products from India to Canada.
The official statement from the petroleum ministry expanded on Canada’s push to expand energy exports and India’s status as the world’s third‑largest oil consumer and a key driver of global demand, creating what both sides called a “natural and symbiotic” energy partnership.