Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs emphasised that secure, affordable and reliable energy is essential for development, particularly for developing economies. He stressed the importance of international cooperation and leveraging the complementarities among countries to advance the common good of all, while respecting diverse national circumstances and development priorities.
The minister said as he led the Indian delegation at the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting held in Houston, USA, from September 14-16, under the US G20 Presidency. He participated in discussions across three thematic pillars: Energy Security and Affordable Baseload; Permitting and Regulatory Efficiency; and Critical Minerals & Resilient Supply Chains.
He highlighted that India is building a resilient and future-ready energy system that is increasingly digital, decentralised and consumer-centric. He also underlined India’s significant progress in the power sector, with installed electricity generation capacity reaching 552 GW, of which more than half is from non-fossil fuel sources. He further highlighted India’s early achievement of key NDC targets and its long-term goal of achieving Net Zero by 2070.
The Minister highlighted the range of reforms undertaken by India to strengthen regulatory efficiency, encourage competition and facilitate greater participation and investment across the energy sector. He showcased initiatives such as the National Single Window System, PARIVESH and PM Gati Shakti, which have helped improve predictability and streamline approvals for infrastructure development.
On critical minerals, the Minister emphasised the importance of secure, resilient and diversified supply chains, stressing circularity and downstream value creation in developing countries. He also highlighted India’s National Critical Mineral Mission, covering the value chain from exploration to recycling, and called for G20 cooperation on recycling, recovery and diversification.
