
India to be key player in framing global energy dynamics: Report
According to experts at S&P Global Commodity Insights, India is expected to play an increasingly pivotal role in global energy dynamics, with strong demand growth, strategic diversification of supply sources, and a multi-dimensional approach to the energy transition.
The Global oil market headwinds involves sluggish demand and mounting supply from both OPEC+ (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-OPEC+ countries.
"Global oil prices have lost some shine...on the back of a challenging demand environment exacerbated by supply growth from OPEC+ as well as beyond," said Pulkit Agarwal, Head of India Content (Cross Commodities), S&P Global Commodity Insights.
He further points towards the uncertainties surrounding trade, tariffs, and China's demand as key factors.
"For India, oil demand continues to grow helped by favourable demographics and economic growth. India is quickly assuming a prominent place in the global oil demand growth order, while the base is still small to have an oversized implication on the global markets," he said.
India's diversification of oil sources, particularly its continued reliance on Russian oil, is a significant factor in the evolving global energy landscape.
According to Gauri Jauhar of S&P Global, India's rapid urbanization and economic ascent, coupled with high pollution levels, create a complex energy challenge. While India aims for cleaner energy, fossil fuels, particularly coal, remain fundamental.
She calls this problem of balancing among economic growth, energy transition, and energy security as "energy trilemma."
Recently, S&P global said in a separate report that India's rapidly growing biofuels industry is very important to the country's energy transformation, balancing economic growth with sustainability. Bioethanol production is expanding, with India nearing its 20 per cent blending target. However, scaling up bio-CNG production and distribution requires a more concerted effort to overcome existing hurdles.
However, Pritish Raj, Managing Editor for Asia Thermal Coal, S&P Global Commodity Insights, notes that India's coal demand is projected to rise by around 60% by 2050, with domestic supply expected to meet most of this rise.
"The non-power sector, as the key contributor to import growth, is expected to drive the imported thermal coal demand. India's pace of domestic coal production has been phenomenal; going by the same, our estimate is that India's 1.5 billion mt production target is a reasonable expectation, fuelled by the multi-pronged approach involving private investments, mine auctions, mechanized coal transportation, as well as friendly government policies. Rise in population, rapid economic growth, and higher reach of electricity and disposable income warrant this growth," he said.
According PPAC (Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell), import dependence of crude oil soared to 87.7 per cent in 2023-24, up from 87.4 per cent.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India, Singapore to "review progress" and "deepen cooperation" at 3rd ministerial roundtable in New Delhi
Singapore City: The third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) will be held in New Delhi on August 13, marking an important ministerial-level platform to drive cooperation in new and emerging areas between the two countries, according to an official statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Singapore. The third ISMR will review the progress made since the second roundtable held in Singapore in August 2024 and identify new growth opportunities to deepen bilateral collaboration, the statement added. Leading the Singapore delegation is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. The delegation also includes Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng, and Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow. The Indian delegation comprises Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Railways, and Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw. This roundtable continues the momentum of high-level visits and exchanges between India and Singapore, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. The milestone reflects the importance both nations place on their bilateral ties and joint commitment to expand collaboration for mutual benefit, the statement said. Singapore-India relations are deep and broad-based, with 2025 marking the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. Earlier this year, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited India, meeting President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In September 2024, Prime Minister Modi visited Singapore, engaging with Singapore's President, Prime Minister, and other leaders. During that visit, both countries agreed to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reflecting growing ties. Economic cooperation remains a key pillar, anchored by the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) signed in 2005. Bilateral trade has grown from S$20 billion in 2005 to S$52.2 billion in 2023. Singapore is India's top foreign investor, accounting for 24 per cent of India's FDI equity inflows since 2000. Indian investments in Singapore have also grown from S$481 million in 2004 to about S$31.6 billion in 2023. Singapore companies are actively investing in India's sectors such as manufacturing, sustainability, data centres, and technology innovation. Singapore also serves as the regional hub for many Indian start-ups, especially in fintech and healthtech. On sustainability, both nations collaborate on next-generation industrial parks promoting economic growth and low-carbon development, including a jointly developed Framework for "Net Zero Industrial Parks" with Tamil Nadu, launched in June 2025. In digitalisation, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Reserve Bank of India launched a real-time payments linkage between PayNow and India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in February 2023, enabling instant fund transfers. Capital market cooperation advanced through the NSE-SGX GIFT Connect, a derivatives trading linkage established in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, the first of its kind between Singapore and India. Plans are underway to explore cross-border data flows via a pilot corridor in GIFT City. Cybersecurity collaboration is also growing, highlighted by the first India-Singapore Cyber Policy Dialogue in October 2024, where agencies exchanged views on national cyber strategies and cooperation. Skills development remains a focus, with Singapore's Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES) setting up five skills centres in India and expanding partnerships with Odisha and Assam to enhance training in semiconductors, aerospace, AI, and capacity-building programmes. A Joint Flagship Programme for Skills Training is being established to target sectors of mutual strategic interest, ensuring alignment with industry needs through private sector collaboration. In advanced manufacturing, cooperation in semiconductor manufacturing is strengthening. The India-Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership MOU, signed during Prime Minister Modi's 2024 visit, promotes policy exchanges on ecosystem development, supply chain resilience, and workforce growth. Connectivity between the two nations is robust, with Singapore's PSA operating four maritime terminals in India for over 25 years. Singapore Airlines owns a 25.1% stake in Air India, and SIA Engineering plans collaboration to develop maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities supporting Air India's expanding fleet. Additionally, both countries aim to establish a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor to facilitate sustainable shipping and the trading of green fuels.


Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India's retail inflation eases to 1.55% in July 2025, lowest since June 2017
New Delhi: India's retail inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased sharply to 1.55 per cent in July 2025 on a year-on-year basis, marking the lowest level since June 2017, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Tuesday. The decline of 55 basis points from June 2025's headline inflation reflects easing prices across key categories and a favorable base effect. Food inflation, based on the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), dropped further into negative territory at -1.76 per cent in July, compared to -1.01 per cent in June. This marks the lowest level of food inflation since January 2019. The fall is attributed to a broad-based decline in prices of pulses and products, vegetables, cereals, eggs, sugar and confectionery, as well as transport and communication services. In rural areas, headline inflation fell to 1.18 per cent in July from 1.72 per cent in June, while rural food inflation declined to -1.74 per cent from -0.87 per cent over the same period. Urban inflation also eased, falling to 2.05 per cent in July from 2.56 per cent in June, with urban food inflation slipping further to -1.90 per cent from -1.17 per cent. Sector-wise, the housing inflation rate stood at 3.17 per cent in July, nearly unchanged from 3.18% in June. Education inflation eased to 4.00 per cent in July from 4.37 per cent a month earlier. Health inflation, however, edged up slightly to 4.57 per cent from 4.38 per cent in June. A notable decline was recorded in the transport and communication category, where inflation fell sharply to 2.12 per cent in July from 3.90 per cent in June. Fuel and light inflation inched up to 2.67 per cent, compared to 2.55 per cent in the previous month. The sharp moderation in both headline and food inflation is expected to provide some relief to policymakers and consumers, particularly in a period of global economic uncertainty.


Times of Oman
10 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Indian auto component makers have huge export opportunities in markets of Brazil, Colombia, Poland, Africa
New Delhi: Brazil's Ambassador in India, Kenneth Felix Haczynski, on Monday said they see the US administration's tariffs as a challenge, but at the same time, it is an opportunity to look for "trusted partners" to do more business. "We suffer the imposition of unexpected high tariffs. we (are) seeing the tariffs imposed on our country as a challenge, but also an opportunity to look for trusted partners and to do more business," the Brazilian envoy told ANI. Regarding how they will deal with Trump tariffs, the envoy stated that Brazil is open to negotiating deals, though within the limits of its sovereignty. Brazil and India both face 50 per cent tariffs from the President Donald Trump administration. The Brazilian envoy also described as "fruitful" the latest telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "I think it was a very, very fruitful conversation, because the focus what we are trusted partners. We have had long relations, (and we are looking at) what we can do more together," the envoy said. Prime Minister Modi received a telephone call on August 7, 2025, from the President of Brazil. Prime Minister recalled his visit to Brazil last month during which the two leaders agreed on a framework to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties. Building on these discussions, they reiterated their commitment to take the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights. The two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. Meanwhile, over the past few months, India and the US have been negotiating for an interim trade deal, but there were some reservations from the Indian side on the US demand for opening up the agricultural and dairy sectors for the US. Agriculture and dairy are critical for India as these two sectors provide livelihood opportunities to a large section of its people. President Trump announced the imposition of a total 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, even as there were hopes of an interim India-US trade deal that would have otherwise helped avoid elevated tariffs. India and the US initiated talks for a just, balanced, and mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March this year, aiming to complete the first stage of the Agreement by October-November 2025. On April 2, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order for reciprocal tariffs on various trade partners, imposing varied tariffs in the range of 10-50 per cent. He subsequently kept the tariffs in abeyance for 90 days, while imposing a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The deadline was to end on July 9, and the US administration later pushed it ahead to August 1. US President Donald Trump has imposed reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries with which the US has a trade deficit. Since assuming office for his second term, President Trump has reiterated his stance on tariff reciprocity, emphasising that the United States will match tariffs imposed by other countries, including India, to "ensure fair trade".