India's Energy Industry

India: Demand for Investment

India’s oil and gas industry has long been a rising pillar in the country’s economic development. While India is a net importer of hydrocarbons, with the International Energy Agency forecasting dependence on oil imports to rise to 90% by 2040, E&P activities have grown considerably to match the country’s growing energy consumption. The government has made successful revisions of its policies and pricing to incentivise exploration, production and downstream activities, including early production royalty concessions and allowance of 100% FDI participation in many areas of the energy industry.

Most of India’s oil reserves are located in the west of the country, in particular in the western offshore region near Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Assam-Arakan basin in India’s northeast is also an important oil-bearing area. These regions contain mature fields where production is currently declining. EOR and redevelopment projects are underway to minimise production decline, with new technologies raising interest for investors looking to participate in brownfield projects. The country’s upstream sector is dominated by India’s NOC ONGC and its subsidiaries, with massive participation from local and foreign independents.

Outside of its upstream sector, India’s downstream sector has grown considerably to match raised production and petroleum imports. Local players Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Reliance Industries have traditionally taken up more than 60% of the local refining market. LNG terminals have also grown around India’s coastline, with more penned for further development. The nation is also actively looking to increase its gas pipeline infrastructure to increase industrial development in regional areas and support economic equality between its states and union territories.