On the sidelines of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2026, India has showcased investment and partnership opportunities in its energy sector, hosting two dedicated events in Abu Dhabi that aim to attract global players and strengthen international collaboration in the sector.
On 3rd November, the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) presented public-private partnership opportunities in India’s strategic petroleum reserves programme, highlighting the commercial utilisation of existing storage infrastructure at Visakhapatnam and the proposed development of a 4-million-tonne storage facility at Chandikhol in Odisha. The initiative seeks to bring in private investment and expertise to expand India’s strategic petroleum storage capacity and strengthen its energy security. Addressing the event, Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, underlined the importance of strategic petroleum reserves in the current geopolitical circumstances, while cautioning that no amount of insurance can be sufficient. Ambassador of India to the UAE Dr. Deepak Mittal, highlighted ADNOC’s role as ISPRL’s first partner. He said energy cooperation remains an important pillar of the India-UAE partnership and a factor that brings countries together amid prevailing global uncertainties.
In another event hosted by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons on 4th November, India presented opportunities in its upstream exploration sector, with a particular focus on the Samudra Manthan initiative, alongside the upcoming OALP X and XI bidding rounds, sectoral reforms and partnerships with Indian national oil companies. Addressing potential investors, Indian officials highlighted the programme’s risk-sharing framework, with no recovery of costs in the event of unsuccessful exploration. In the event of a successful discovery, revenue sharing would begin only after seven years, or once the operator recovers 50 percent of its exploration and development costs. The initiative is aimed at encouraging companies to take up exploration in frontier basins that have remained relatively underexplored despite their potential.
Samudra Manthan is an approximately 8.8-billion-dollar programme aimed at accelerating exploration in India’s deep and ultra-deepwater basins, with an objective to the country’s oil reserves over the next decade. Recognising the high costs and risks associated with offshore exploration, the government is offering support covering up to 50 per cent of eligible exploration costs. The initiative also seeks to make geological data available to prospective investors, alongside fresh seismic data acquisition, to help companies assess the potential of India’s unexplored basins, including areas in the Andaman region, the Krishna-Godavari basin and the Mumbai offshore region.
The event also provided an opportunity for Indian national oil companies to engage with international players and explore potential partnerships. Officials highlighted that India-UAE energy cooperation is increasingly extending beyond traditional buyer-seller relationships into upstream exploration and strategic storage, opening up opportunities for companies from both countries.
Dr. Ranjit Rath, CMD, Oil India Limited, said the Samudra Manthan initiative has generated encouraging interest, with India seeking partnerships with global oil companies not just for investment but also for technology, expertise and collaboration to expand its deep and ultra-deepwater exploration activities. Ambassador Deepak Mittal highlighted the positive response to both side events, underlining opportunities for international participation in India’s strategic petroleum storage projects at Chandikhol and Visakhapatnam. He also emphasised the growing India-UAE energy partnership, spanning energy supplies, upstream and downstream cooperation, and strategic storage.
