India has moved to secure its energy lifelines in West Asia after US-Israel-Iran tensions disrupted fuel supplies, with Qatar reaffirming its commitment to remain a dependable partner in liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to India.
The assurance came during Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s visit to Doha on April 9–10, shortly after the US-Iran ceasefire eased immediate tensions in the region.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Qatar has reaffirmed its position as a reliable long-term supplier of energy to India.
During the visit, Puri held talks with Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister and CEO of QatarEnergy. The discussions focused on ensuring continuity of supplies and strengthening bilateral energy cooperation.
Qatar accounts for around 40 percent of India’s LNG imports and also supplies crude oil and LPG. Supplies had come under strain recently after attacks on energy infrastructure disrupted production.
Even as it secures supplies from Qatar, India is stepping up energy cooperation with neighbouring countries.
India supplied 38 million tonnes of petroleum products to Sri Lanka
A government-to-government agreement has been signed with Mauritius for oil and gas supply
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is currently visiting Mauritius to deepen ties
Officials indicated that India is positioning itself as a regional energy stabiliser amid ongoing volatility in West Asia.
Despite LNG supply disruptions, the government claims, India’s power availability has remained largely unaffected due to limited dependence on gas-based generation.
Gas-based power accounts for only about 1.4 percent of total installed capacity
Out of roughly 20 GW capacity, about 2.4 GW of non-grid plants continued operating
Grid-connected plants received fuel based on requirement
To manage the situation, the government has deferred maintenance of around 10 GW of power capacity over the next three months.
India typically requires around 8 GW of gas-based capacity during peak summer demand.
Gas-based plants have now been allowed to import LNG directly for power generation. In a notable development, Torrent Power has signed a long-term agreement with a Japanese firm to import up to 0.27 million tonnes of LNG annually for 10 years starting 2027.
The government’s push towards induction cooking, amid cooking gas shortages, is expected to significantly increase electricity demand.
Additional demand could range between 13 GW and 27 GW
Peak load pressure is likely during morning and evening hours
This shift could reshape consumption patterns at the distribution level.
India is preparing to strengthen its power infrastructure ahead of rising demand.
Between April and June 2026, the country expects to add 22,361 MW of capacity, including:
The planned additions are aimed at improving resilience in the power system while accommodating changing consumption trends.
