Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Visits Qatar to Deepen Long-term LNG Cooperation and Energy Security Ties

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri travelled to Doha around April 13, 2026, for a high-level engagement with Qatari energy leadership aimed at reinforcing India's long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply arrangements and widening upstream and downstream cooperation. Qatar, through QatarEnergy and Qatar Energy Trading, is already India's largest LNG supplier and accounts for nearly 40 percent of the country's total LNG imports. The existing supply contract between Petronet LNG Limited and Qatar — first signed in 1999 and extended in 2024 for 20 more years from 2028 to 2048 — commits up to 7.5 million tonnes of LNG per year. During the visit, discussions covered possible new volumes, pricing formulas linked to a mix of oil and Henry Hub indices, greenfield terminal investment in India, Qatari participation in Indian city gas distribution, and collaboration on low-carbon hydrogen, ammonia and carbon capture. The Minister also met Qatari sovereign wealth fund representatives to explore investments in Indian refining, petrochemical and renewable assets. India aims to raise the share of natural gas in its primary energy mix from around 6.7 percent today to 15 percent by 2030, which requires a steep ramp-up of LNG imports and regasification capacity. The visit is strategically important because global LNG markets are tightening again with Europe's shift away from Russian pipeline gas, and securing long-dated contracts with reliable suppliers like Qatar insulates India from spot-price volatility. The two sides also reviewed progress on the joint working group on hydrocarbons established under the India-Qatar Strategic Partnership upgraded in February 2024 during the Emir's visit to New Delhi.