The India-Japan Roundtable at this year’s India Energy Week, built on the momentum of the inaugural Tokyo dialogue, focused on advancing bilateral cooperation across the entire energy value chain. Chaired by the Secretary MoPNG, the high-level session brought together 28 Japanese delegates from 17 influential companies, government bodies, and multilateral institutions.
The discussions focused on reinforcing hydrocarbon cooperation through expanded trade and investments, highlighting successful existing partnerships such as the joint ventures between ONGC and MOL for Very Large Ethane Carriers.
This spirit of collaboration was further underscored by Yokogawa’s expressed intent to increase its investment footprint in India, alongside a formal invitation for Japanese firms to participate in India’s ongoing OALP X licensing round.
The roadmap for a greener future emerged as a central theme, with ethanol and biofuels identified as a top-tier priority for both nations. India presented its surplus ethanol capacity and diversified feedstock options, including Used Cooking Oil, as key assets in meeting its aggressive blending targets.
Beyond biofuels, the two sides explored vast opportunities in the natural gas and low-carbon fuel ecosystem, specifically targeting the LNG value chain, expanding City Gas Distribution, and scaling up biomethane and Compressed Biogas.
The roundtable concluded with a forward-looking discussion on integrating cutting-edge technology into the energy sector. Both nations identified significant synergies in automation and digitalisation, specifically aiming to deploy AI-enabled predictive analytics, SCADA systems, and advanced instrumentation.
These technological advancements are intended to drive operational efficiency across both traditional oil and gas operations and the rapidly evolving new energy sectors, cementing a futuristic, resilient energy partnership between India and Japan.
