ndia’s energy sector offers $500bninvestment opportunity: PM Modi

Betul: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that India’s energy sector holds a staggering $500 billion in investment opportunities, urging global investors to ‘Make in India, Innovate in India, Scale with India, Invest in India’ as he addressed the inaugural ceremony of India Energy Week 2026 via video conferencing.

Speaking to representatives from nearly 125 countries gathered in Betul, Goa, the PM emphasised that India's energy sector lies “at the heart of our aspirations” and positioned the country as a land of immense opportunities for energy investments.




Modi highlighted that India is moving beyond mere energy security towards a larger mission of energy independence, developing an ecosystem capable of meeting domestic demand while making exports globally competitive through affordable refining and transportation solutions.

Modi pointed to India’s world-class refining capacity, currently second globally at 260 million metric tonnes per annum, which he said would soon make India number one. “Continuous efforts are under way to raise it beyond 300MMT per annum,” he stated, terming this a major advantage for investors.

In a significant development mentioned by Modi, India and the European Union signed a free trade agreement just one day before the event, which Modi called the “mother of all deals”. He said the agreement, representing 25% of global GDP and one-third of global trade, brings immense opportunities for India’s 1.4 billion people and millions across European nations.

The PM also detailed several investment avenues, including the deep-sea exploration initiative known as the Samudra Manthan Mission, with India targeting $100 billion in oil and gas sector investments by the end of the decade. More than 170 blocks were already awarded, with the Andaman and Nicobar basin emerging as the next hydrocarbon hope.

On LNG, Modi said India set a target to meet 15% of its total energy demand through LNG and is building vessels for LNG transportation domestically, supported by a Rs 70,000 crore shipbuilding programme. He stressed that numerous investment opportunities exist in constructing LNG terminals at Indian ports and regasification projects.

The PM also noted that India is among the top five exporters of petroleum products globally, with exports reaching over 150 countries, and emphasised that the country’s large population and growing economy would drive continuous demand for petrochemical products.

“Today’s India,” Modi added, “is riding on the reforms express, undertaking rapid reforms across every sector” to strengthen domestic hydrocarbons while creating a transparent and investor-friendly environment for global collaborations.