India’s path to net zero will not be defined by a single technology or fuel, but by how intelligently the country integrates its refining, retail and mobility systems, senior industry leaders said at a panel discussion on ‘The Energy Trilemma & India’s OMCs: Redefining Refineries & Retail for a Net-Zero Future’ at The Economic Times Oil & Gas Annual Conference & Expo held 26-28 November 2025 in New Delhi.
Opening the discussion, Subhankar Sen, Director Marketing at Bharat Petroleum Corporation, highlighted how India’s fuel retail landscape has undergone a structural transformation over the past two decades.
“India’s sustainability journey in fuel retail has moved far beyond compliance — from guaranteeing pure, tamper-proof petrol two decades ago to rolling out ethanol-blended fuels and nationwide EV fast-charging corridors today,” he said.
“What we are witnessing is a structural shift where cleaner mobility becomes viable only when quality, affordability and customer trust are hardwired into the entire energy ecosystem,” added Sen.
The retail shift, however, is only one part of a broader evolution. Saumitra Priya Srivastava, Director Marketing at IndianOil, underlined that India’s fuel stations are preparing for a multi-fuel future.
“India’s fuel retail is entering a decisive transition phase — even as petrol and diesel remain dominant, the shift toward energy stations offering EV charging, LNG for long-haul transport and early hydrogen pilots shows how the country is preparing for a future where multiple clean fuels coexist across a network that is soon set to cross one lakh outlets,” said Srivastava.
On the gas side, LNG is emerging as a critical balancing fuel in India’s decarbonisation roadmap.
“With coal still dominating India’s energy mix, LNG will play a crucial balancing role in the country’s decarbonisation push, especially as CGD demand surges and renewables continue to struggle with storage limitations,” said Vinod Kumar Mishra, former Director – Finance at Petronet LNG.
While the demand for cleaner mobility grows, India’s refining system — the backbone of its energy security — is undergoing its own transformation.
Ashish Rana, Senior Energy Economist & Vice President Strategy – Refining Business at Reliance Industries, outlined a clear framework.
“Efficiency may be the unsung hero of refinery operations, but every incremental gain directly cuts emissions — and as we push electrification, deepen crude-to-chemicals conversion and deploy AI for catalyst life and predictive maintenance, the refinery of the future will be both cleaner and commercially stronger,” said Rana.
Rajesh Agarwal, Executive Director at the Centre for High Technology, MoPNG, reinforced the centrality of AI and digitalisation.
“AI and digitalisation are helping refineries cut out non-value-added work — from stabilising crude runs faster to spotting failures through pattern recognition — and this shift alone can push energy use towards the lowest end of the 6–10 per cent required to turn crude into products,” added Agarwal.
But accelerating India’s energy ambitions will require policy to keep pace with technology. Matrugupta Mishra, Managing Partner at Ritam Legal, stressed that regulatory capacity must evolve rapidly.
“India is clearly on track to meet its renewable energy targets, but the real challenge now is ensuring that our regulatory framework evolves fast enough to support the integration of renewables with oil and gas as the country moves toward a net-zero future,” said Mishra.
Across the conversation, one message emerged with clarity that India’s refining, retail, gas and renewable systems are no longer independent verticals. They are interlocking components of a unified energy network that must grow in tandem.
As demand rises and technologies advance, India’s ability to blend long-term investment, digitalisation, clean mobility, regulatory reform and consumer trust will determine how effectively it navigates the energy trilemma — balancing affordability, sustainability and security for the decades ahead.
