Mumbai, Oct. 1 -- India Energy Week 2027 is expected to be larger in scale, with around 17,000 square metres of exhibition space already booked, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said at a curtain-raiser event in Kolkata. The bookings have been completed about five months before the event, indicating strong interest in the upcoming edition. The theme for the event is Unlocking Innovation, Securing Energy, and Shaping Tomorrow.

Puri said the event had expanded substantially in recent years in terms of participation, exhibitors and conference activity. The 2023 edition brought together more than 35,000 participants, 326 exhibitors and 60 sessions. By 2026, participation had risen to 75,000, while the event featured 700 exhibitors, 100 conferences, 120 conference sessions and 550 global expert speakers from more than 120 countries.

The minister said the growth had created several opportunities and expressed satisfaction with the turnout at the Kolkata curtain-raiser. He also described the global energy environment as uncertain and turbulent, noting that India had navigated the disruption while protecting consumers from international price movements. Global crude oil prices rose by 70 to 80 per cent during the period, depending on the reference point used.

Puri highlighted India's fuel distribution network, which has 107,000 retail outlets, and said consumers continued to receive supplies during the period of global energy uncertainty. He also said liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections had increased from 140 mn in 2014 to 335 mn in 2026. Assuming one connection serves four people, the coverage would equate to about 1.4 bn people.

The minister further pointed to geopolitical risks affecting India's LPG supplies, saying three major suppliers were located near the Strait of Hormuz. At another Kolkata event, he said the government had prioritised shielding India's more than 1.4 bn people from global volatility. He also cited a reduction of Rs. 10 per litre in petrol and diesel prices as part of efforts to limit the impact of international energy costs.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.