IEW 2026 Days III & IV: Speaking, meeting & greeting

Days three and four brought another 60+ insightful sessions for the benefit of the attending delegates. There was plenty to deliberate on from downstream AI to smart-grids, biofuels to coal's evolving role in the energy mix. 

On the latter subject, the Oilholic hosted his fifth and final session of the event on the topic of 'coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach.' Panellists included Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India, Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, US Department of Energy and B. Sairam, Chairman and MD, Coal India Limited.

Despite the global push against it, coal remains a leading source of electricity generation across the world, providing viable power for millions, as well as underpinning energy security and economic growth.

It is also believed in many quarters that coal demand will remain at elevated levels until at least the end of the decade, and furthermore, the exponentially growing boom in AI data centres is creating a new need for the readiness and consistency of coal-fired plants. 

So, with coal set to remain an essential component of the energy mix for decades beyond its projected peak in 2030, the panellists discussed how can this reality be reconciled with the need for energy transformation. 

From integrating Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) and Clean Coal Utilisation (CCU) solutions, and implementing AI-driven efficiency measures, to enabling co-firing with biomass or hydrogen fuels, advanced technology innovations are the most viable routes to reducing coal’s ongoing carbon footprint while meeting energy demand. Their widespread adoption, however, will be reliant on enabling policies, financing mechanisms and incentivising private sector engagement. 

Bearing these points in mind, the panellists offered insights on optimising coal’s socioeconomic benefits as a core component of the mid-term energy mix, while minimising its environmental impact through climate technology and digital efficiencies. Officials from both the US and India also advocated for a pragmatic approach to coal and its usage. 

Additionally, Assistant Secretary Haustveit revealed the launch and repurposing of the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia as a Center of Excellence for Coal research this February - a place and a town very familiar to yours truly and the readers of this blog, when one visited it in 2019. 

Another subject of note over Thursday and Friday of India Energy Week was biofuels, and India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri's pet project of enhanced ethanol blending into fuel dispensed at the country's petrol forecourts. 

The initiative is now firmly in overdrive mode, as noted by yours truly's in a Forbes post from the event. Have a read here if you wish. 

With speaking engagements all done on Thursday, it was time for some more meeting and greeting at the exhibition halls and getting to know what the energy sector was bringing to bear in 2026 and beyond. 

The Oilholic's many engagements included meeting Emerson's Chief Sustainability Officer and longstanding industry colleague Mike Train, as well as Erik Lindhjem, President of Asia Pacific and Anil Bhatia, Vice President & Managing Director India. We had a great discussion on investment opportunities in India (see above right, click to enlarge).

A meeting with Abhilesh Gupta, CEO of Think Gas, who was also a panellist yours truly panel on city gas distribution (CGD) networks and their potential, followed (see left, click to enlarge).

It was great discussing the plans of this prominent Indian CGD company specialising in the distribution of compressed natural gas (CNG), piped natural gas (PNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for residential, commercial, and industrial use with him.

Also had a fascinating discussion as the event's conclusion approached with Chander Mani, GGM, Impex & Shipping, at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a subsidiary of ONGC (see right, click to enlarge).

MRPL is a crucial part of the ONGC group, acting as a refining arm that processes crude oil from ONGC’s fields in Mumbai High, and other imported crudes. 

In Dec 2024, MRPL and ONGC signed a performance MoU to improve operational efficiency and secure energy at the 300,000 barrels per day refining facility in Southern India.

We also discussed the refining industry's current operational complexities with the state of global geopolitics and crude supplies as they stand. 

Finally, the Oilholic also caught up with the team at Applied Computing, a UK energy AI start-up making waves with its downstream platform Orbital (see below left, click to enlarge).

The duo of Hari Ramani, Vice President of Commercial Markets at Applied Computing (left) and Harry Ashcroft, Communications Advisor (right), discussed the company's expansion plans, including the recent opening of a new office in Bengaluru, India, pointing to the inexorable direction of travel for many energy technology firms both large and small.

Well that's all for now from India Energy Week 2026 folks. It has been a memorable and insightful time out here in Goa. More missives to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma chairs India Energy Week 2026 panel on coal on Thursday, January 29, 2026. Photo II: (L to R) Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma with Emerson's Anil Bhatia, Vice President & Managing Director, India, Mike Train, Chief Sustainability Officer and Erik Lindhjem, President of Asia Pacific. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (left) with Abhilesh Gupta, CEO of Think Gas. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (right) with Chander Mani, GGM, Impex and Shipping, MRPL. Photo V: (L to R) Hari Ramani, Vice President of Commercial Markets at Applied Computing, Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma and Harry Ashcroft, Communications Advisor. © Photos: Gaurav Sharma, January 2026.

IEW 2026 Days I & II: A $500bn investment opportunity?

India Energy Week 2026 got underway in Goa, India, on Tuesday with yours truly in attendance to hear the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who declared the event open via video-link and noted that the energy sector was at the heart of his country's aspiration's for the future. 

India's burgeoning economy needs energy, and his government is working overtime to ensure security of supply of all sources traditional and renewable. The move holds over $500 in billion investment opportunities, according to the PM. 

It certainly seems that way with more than 75,000 attendees from over 120 countries in attendance and 700-plus exhibitors here in Goa. Making a pitch for his nation, PM Modi urged them to "Make in India, Innovate in India, Scale with India, and Invest in India." 

Later on in the opening morning's proceedings, India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri emphasised on the diversity of supply with over 40-plus crude oil suppliers. 

He also noted: "India's rapid expansion of LPG coverage, clean cooking access and diversified energy mix reflect the country's commitment to inclusive growth and equitable energy access." 

Additionally, it was widely acknowledged on the first day of India Energy Week that the country remains on track to meeting its 500GW renewable energy capacity target for 2030. The opening day also heard market observations of ADNOC Group CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber in his keynote address to the event.  

"From air conditioning to AI, exponential growth in energy demand will require all forms of energy. Oil demand will remain over 100 million barrels per day for a good few decades yet. As the world third's largest consumer of oil and power, India is an unquestionable driver of global demand that energy sector players simply cannot ignore," Dr Al Jaber told India Energy Week delegates. 

As the event's exhibition floors opened their doors and the dialogues began in earnest, the Oilholic also began his flurry of speaking engagements. 

This kick-started with a fireside chat on day one with Mohsin Hamed Al Hadhrami, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy & Minerals, Oman on his country's energy sector potential, minerals industry and how it can be a strategic trading partner for India and indeed the world (See above left). 

With 30-odd insightful conversations successfully negotiated on day one, Wednesday - day two - brought a similar number of panels and dialogues to the fore, with yours truly keeping busy with three sessions of his own. 

The first of these was a fireside chat with Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Canada, who set out his country's stall for a reset and reboot of relations with India drawing a line under the diplomatic spats of 2023. Hodgson outlined an array of commodities Canada could reliably supply to India, not just oil and natural gas, and that a state visit to the country by Prime Minister Mark Carney was imminent. (See above right)

Following the fireside, yours truly hosted two unique panels. The first of these, was titled 'Global South clean energy solidarity: powering South-South cooperation for a shared future.' 

The panellists included Prof. Elmutasim Ibrahim Ahmed Ali, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Sudan, Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management of Vanuatu, and Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC (see left).

We discussed strategic energy solidarity, and how policymakers can empower the Global South’s geopolitical voice in the evolving multi-polar world order, reflective of the rising economic weight behind its emerging and diverse markets.

The second of the Oilholic's panels touched on establishing global models for city gas distribution (CGD) networks, with panellists Suresh Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas Limited, Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited, Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited, Abhilesh Gupta, MD and CEO, THINK Gas, and Sandeep Jain, Former Executive Director, Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (See right), 

As CGD markets are projected to more than double in size to $30 billion in the coming decade, we discussed which strategic models, collaborations and technologies will be key to delivering the next phase of international development. Well that's all for now folks. As the second half of India Energy Week 2026 approaches, there's more to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at India Energy Week 2026 in Goa, India. Photo II: India's Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri speaks at India Energy Week 2026. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma hosts India Energy Week 2026 session with Mohsin Hamed Al Hadhrami, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy & Minerals, Oman. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma hosts India Energy Week 2026 session with Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy And Natural Resources, Canada. Photos V & VI: India Energy Week panels hosted by Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. © Photos I & II: Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. © Photo III: Sammy Ahmed, KPMG. © Photos IV, V & VI: India Energy Week / dmgevents, January 2026.

India Energy Week sessions to be hosted by yours truly

As India Energy Week 2026 approaches, the Oilholic is looking forward to moderating panels and fireside chats at the event being held in Goa, India from Jan 27 to 30, covering vital topics across the international energy sphere. It will bring together global leaders, corporate visionaries and technical experts. Here are the detail's of yours truly's sessions:

Wednesday, January 28, The Addition Stage, MDF Building, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 12:00pm

From reset to results: translating Canada–India political momentum into a priority partnership for long-term energy and critical minerals cooperation

• A fireside chat under the event's Energy Talks programme with Hon. Timothy Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Canada.

Wednesday, January 28, The Transition Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 10:30am

Global South clean energy solidarity: Powering South-South cooperation for a shared future

With panellists:

• H.E. Prof. Elmutasim Ibrahim Ahmed Ali, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Sudan
• H.E. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu
• H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Welle Ahmed, State Minister of Energy, Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
• H.E. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, The BIMSTEC Secretariat

Wednesday, January 28, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 13:40pm IST

Establishing global models for City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks: building clean, secure and equitable gas-based economies

With panellists:

• Suresh P Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas
• Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited
• Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited
• Abhilesh Gupta, MD & CEO, THINK Gas
• Sandeep Jain, Former Executive Director, Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Thursday, January 29, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI @ 16:30pm IST

Coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach

With panellists:

• Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal - Official, Government of India
• Kyle Haustveit, P.E., Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• B. Sairam, Chairman-cum-MD, Coal India Limited

Explore the event's exciting agenda here, and be sure to register here. 

The Oilholic is excited to play his part in the deliberations on pathways towards secure, inclusive, and affordable energy systems, tackling critical challenges such as decarbonisation, investment security and industrial transformation.

Looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones! See you in Goa, if you can make it! More to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo: IEW 2026 speaker profile of energy analyst Gaurav Sharma © India Energy Week / dmgevents, January 2026.

Media missives from WFES 2026

The World Future Energy Summit 2026 - held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and hosted by Masdar - drew to a close on January 15, as the Oilholic rounded off an engaging week out in Abu Dhabi.

Yours truly hosted pivotal industry panel sessions and fireside chats at the event on subjects ranging from hydrogen to green bonds. 

This blogger also wrote plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, and of course this blog. 

All blog entries for WFES 2026 are below: 

• WFES 2026 sessions to be hosted by yours truly
• WFES Day I: Kick-off after ADSW opening ceremony
• WFES Day II: Nexus of Next at ADSW
• WFES Day III: Talking green bonds & more on final day

And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insights from the event:

• ‘Artificial’ Intelligence Craves ‘Actual’ Energy, Says Masdar Chairman, January 13, 2025
• Middle East Set For High Renewable Energy Capacity Growth By 2040, January 14, 2025
• UAE’s Masdar Raising Green Finance On An ‘Industrial Scale’, Says CFO, January 19, 2025.

That's a wrap for this year's WFES. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at WFES 2026 in Abu Dhabi, UAE on January 15, 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, 2026. 

WFES Day III: Talking green bonds & more on final day

On the final day of the World Future Energy Summit another 61 sessions deep-dived into various aspects of the energy transition, aspects of renewable energy and green finance. 

On the latter point, yours truly kicked off the event's green finance discussion in the day's first fireside chat with Mazin Khan, Chief Financial Officer of Masdar. 

In his opening remarks ahead of the fireside chat, Khan set the stall for the efficacy of green bonds as a financial instrument to enable the transition and bring about change in hard-to-abate sectors. 

The Masdar CFO also shared the experience of his company on its issuances of green bonds and how they continue to play a key role in making it the UAE's renewables champion. 

Following the opening remarks, yours truly and the Masdar executive had a wide-ranging fireside chat touching on how green bonds improve transparency, drive resource efficiency, enhance governance, and, of course, signal a commitment to the cause of lowering carbon emissions. 

We also discussed how green bonds were now mainstream and issuances of 100-years maturities - indicative of an ultra long-term commitment - are no longer the novelty headline grabbers like they used to be, but rather routine. 

Additionally, Khan also touched on the incentives for issuing green bonds ranging from attracting a wider investor base to enhancing corporate reputation. They also form part of the wider agenda that encourages the development of regulatory frameworks supportive of the green finance industry. 

As of mid-2025, Masdar has raised $2.75 billion via its own green bond issuance programme, and Khan's concluding verdict was that the future of the green bonds remains bright with the global market only expected to get bigger. 

Away from the fireside chat, the Oilholic also joined the thousands who attended the event for a visit to its exhibition floor on its final day, as the conclusion of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week approached. 

The event saw over 41,000 visitors from 114 countries and 455 exhibiting companies from 60 countries. It was also a great place to network and gain the latest energy industry insights. And on that note, its time to bid goodbye. 

As always, it has been a memorable and insightful time out here in Abu Dhabi for ADSW and WFES. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at WFES 2026. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma hosts fireside with Mazin Khan, Chief Financial Officer of Masdar. Photo III: Exhibition floor of WFES 2026 panel on January 15, 2026. Photos I & III © Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo II © Zeena Zalamea / Portalproductions.me January 2026.