India has emerged as a strategic growth market for ExxonMobil, driven by rising energy demand, market scale and a strong talent base, aligning closely with the company’s global capabilities, Scott Sandlin, India Country Chair of the American oil major, said at India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 in Goa on Friday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Sandlin said that India is set to become the world’s third-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer and remains a key market for the company.
He said that the American oil major plans to scale up its engagement across LNG, manufacturing and project execution, banking on stable policy, regulatory transparency and long-term demand growth to deploy capital over multi-decade horizons.
He added that the company is targeting global LNG sales of 40 million tonnes per annum by 2030 and is keen to expand supplies to India through long-term contracts that support the country’s transition towards a gas-based economy with a targeted 15 per cent share in the energy mix. He noted that additional LNG contracts signed earlier will begin deliveries in 2026.
Sandlin said that global energy investments are inherently long-term and depend heavily on policy frameworks that encourage competition, regulatory stability and clarity on issues such as transfer pricing and taxation. He said such certainty enables global companies to commit capital and capabilities in line with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 objectives.
Beyond fuels, Sandlin said ExxonMobil sees strong potential to scale up ‘Make in India’ manufacturing and project execution. The company currently invests about $20 billion annually in capital projects globally and has been sourcing equipment from India since around 2010.
Sandlin said that stable policies, transparent regulations and mechanisms that attract global capital will be essential for India to meet its energy security goals while navigating a multi-fuel transition where oil, gas, renewables and emerging technologies coexist.
