India eyeing Africa to achieve energy security

In a bid to ramp up energy demands for sustainable economic growth, India is now eyeing African nations to boost its fuel supplies. Welcoming African as partners, the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said that India stands ready to share its experience in the hydrocarbon sector, from exploration to distribution through refining, storage and transportation.

Inaugurating a two-day India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference, jointly orgainsed by oil ministry and FICCI, Mukherjee said: “India would need to expand its current primary energy supply levels by three to four times and electricity generation by five to six times in the next two and half decades to sustain the high growth levels. It is crucial that over a period of time, investment in this sector should directly assist in the building up of a trained and skilled workforce capable of efficiently running the assets.”

The minister reiterated that India is relentlessly exploring ways for sourcing energy from its neighbourhood and beyond. Mukherjee said that the country is looking forward to partner Africa and explore the rich natural market for rich hydrocarbon resources.