NEW DELHI (TIP): India‘s energy muscle was on full display when oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan and power, coal, renewable energy and mines minister Piyush Goyal — who together account for administering nearly a fifth of India’s GDP and are responsible for energising a billion-plus lives — took the stage with International Energy Agency’s executive director Fatih Birol on March 30 (Thursday).

It was a clear signal by the Narendra Modi government that India cannot be ignored any longer and must be heard as the voice of developing economies at the high table of global energy market. A fact duly acknowledged by Birol, when he said, “We can’t talk about the future of the global energy markets without talking with India”.

India has so far been a partner country. The ‘associate’ status will make India part of all meetings and dialogues, allowing an opportunity for it to shape relationships in the global energy market. China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, has been an associate member since 2015.

The Modi government’s measures to make fuel and electricity accessible and affordable for the vast population, combined with industrialisation through ‘Make in India‘ initiative will drive India’s hunger for energy.

“IEA Association will not entail any additional burden or commitment on the government or people of India, but will also help India plan better and serve the needs of its citizens better, ensuring energy security for days and years to come,” Goyal said.

“IEA has helped in promoting understanding of India’s interests and concerns as the third-largest consumer of energy,” Pradhan said urging IEA to anchor dialogue between oil sellers and buyers for evolving a balanced market.

It is for this reason that fielding Pradhan and Goyal becomes significant. Pradhan, besides trying to raise India’s oil security through various policy initiatives, is spearheading ‘Ujjwala’ – a scheme to provide LPG connection free of cost to poor households. This scheme alone has helped increase LPG penetration to 71% households and turned India into the second-largest LPG consumer in domestic sector.

Goyal is tasked with an array of responsibilities — from electrifying every home in the country, ensuring 24X7 quality supply and greening India’s power sector, not to mention bringing in efficiency and transparency.