Surat: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, called Gujarat the “energy capital of India” and the nation’s “natural gas gateway” during the inauguration of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Surat. Addressing international delegates and industry leaders, the minister highlighted India’s resilience in the face of a 60-day global energy crisis triggered by military conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Stability Amid Global Volatility

Minister Puri emphasized that despite a 20% to 30% disruption in global supply chains, the Indian government has shielded its citizens from price shocks.

“Let me be plain: when a global supply chain faces a disruption of 20% to 30% on important routes and products, no country can be insulated from the shock. Freight costs rise, insurance costs rise, cargo is delayed, and every major country is forced to make hard choices. Yet, 60 days into the disruption, India is standing strong. Under the leadership of the prime minister, India has not allowed Indian kitchens to run short. We have not revised retail petrol and diesel prices. We have not allowed panic to become policy,” Puri said.

He further stated, “For the last four years, despite volatility in global crude and product markets, Indian consumers have been shielded at the retail pump. For 60 days during this crisis, while crude import costs rose sharply and the region faced severe disruption, that shielding has continued.”

This stands in stark contrast to other global economies; for instance, fuel prices rose by 99.8% in Germany, while petrol prices increased by over 35% in neighbouring island nations.

The minister noted that the government chose to absorb the shock at the fiscal level rather than passing costs on to consumers, ensuring that “panic did not become policy.”

Strategic Diversification and Production

To maintain energy security, Puri said India has expanded its crude sourcing from 27 countries to 41. Additionally, domestic LPG production was ramped up by 60%, increasing from 36,000 to 54,000 metric tonnes per day. The minister also highlighted the success of the Ujjwala scheme, which recently marked its 10th anniversary, benefiting over 100 million households.

During the peak of the crisis, the government prioritised domestic “kitchen” LPG over commercial and industrial use to ensure 330 million households remained supplied. Minister Puri confirmed that commercial LPG supply has now recovered to approximately 70% of pre-crisis levels, with priority given to labour-intensive sectors such as steel, textiles, and chemicals in South Gujarat.

Gujarat: The Heart of India’s Energy Story

The minister lauded the “Gujarati model” of development, noting that the state is central to India’s energy ambitions. Key highlights include:

• Gujarat refines 40% of India’s crude across four refineries.
• The state hosts the country’s largest LNG receiving capacity at 32.7 million metric tonnes.
• Natural gas accounts for 21.6% of Gujarat’s primary energy mix, nearly matching the global average of 22.7% and tripling the national average.

The “Belgian Model” for Energy

Drawing a unique parallel, Minister Puri compared India’s growing energy sector to Belgian chocolates. He explained that just as Belgium exports premium chocolate without growing cocoa beans, India is emerging as a global powerhouse by refining, blending, and adding value to imported crude. India is currently the world’s third-largest refiner and the fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products.

The minister concluded by inviting foreign investors to participate in India’s ready industrial ecosystem. He asserted that the next chapter of India’s value chain will be written in South Gujarat, where energy security, enterprise, and technology converge. DeshGujarat