New Delhi: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday announced a bold vision for India’s energy exploration sector, declaring that the country is set to explore over 2,00,000 sq km of land under OALP Round-10, with ambitions to expand total exploration acreage to 0.5 million sq km by 2025 and 1.0 million sq km by 2030.
Speaking at a fireside chat titled ‘Manch Mantri Ka’ during Urja Varta 2025, Puri outlined India’s strategic roadmap to become the next global hotspot for oil and gas exploration and production (E&P).
Big Bets on the Andaman Sea: “We May Discover Fields Like Guyana”
In a statement that underscores India’s aggressive upstream exploration strategy, Puri said,
“I am positive we will find several fields of the size of Guyana, particularly in the Andaman Sea.”
This confidence stems from India’s increasing access to high-quality geoscientific data, improved investor incentives, and policy reforms intended to de-risk exploration investments.
India as the Next Global E&P Frontier
Puri emphasized that India is “working on areas of good quality data availability for explorers, financial incentives, a stable regulatory framework, de-risking investments and ease of doing business” to attract global players.
The minister credited reforms like the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) and amendments to the Oilfields Regulation and Development (ORD) Act for opening nearly 1 million sq km of previously “No-Go” areas to exploration activity.
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Navigating the Global Energy Trilemma
Despite turbulent geopolitical developments across the globe, Puri praised India’s resilience in tackling the energy trilemma — availability, affordability, and sustainability.
“India has successfully navigated the global energy trilemma. The energy needs of our citizens remain our top priority. We have diversified our import sources, while simultaneously ramping up domestic production.”
Urja Varta 2025: A Landmark Energy Dialogue
The minister was speaking at Urja Varta 2025, a premier event that brought together energy sector leaders, officials from the Petroleum Ministry, industry stakeholders, and media professionals to deliberate on India’s transition towards energy security and green energy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The event served as a platform to review ongoing policy reforms, technological innovations, and public-private collaborations driving India’s energy journey.
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