Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri with Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, in Doha. (Photo | X/@HardeepSPuri)
India

Qatar reaffirms to strengthen energy ties with India during Hardeep Puri's Doha visit

Qatar remains a key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India, accounting for around 45% of the country’s LNG imports.

Rakesh Kumar

NEW DELHI: Qatar is looking to continue and strengthen its energy relations and cooperation with India, said Qatar's Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi on Friday.

The remarks came after Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Doha on April 9 for a two-day official visit. During the visit, Puri met Al-Kaabi, who is also Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy.

According to a press note issued by the Petroleum Ministry, the two leaders discussed all aspects of the strategic relationship between the two countries, including high-level engagements, trade, investment, energy cooperation, culture, and people-to-people ties.

“They hoped for an early return of peace and stability in the region and further strengthening of the bilateral relationship between India and Qatar,” the ministry said.

The visit follows the recent ceasefire announcement in West Asia, after which Puri travelled to Qatar to secure energy supplies that were impacted by the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. Qatar remains a key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India, accounting for around 45% of the country’s LNG imports.

However, the conflict disrupted supplies after Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure caused damage and led to force majeure being declared on some of Qatar’s deliveries due to a production halt at the Ras Laffan facility.

Following the supply disruption from Qatar, India began sourcing LNG from alternative suppliers, including the United States and Australia. In the daily press briefing, the government said that despite the disruption, no dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships. Commercial LPG allocation has been increased to about 70% of pre-crisis levels, including a 10% reform-linked allocation.

Since March 14, 2026, around 1,06,093 metric tonnes (MT) of commercial LPG—equivalent to over 55.8 lakh 19-kg cylinders—has been sold across the country. On a single day, 6,297 MT of commercial LPG, equivalent to more than 3.3 lakh 19-kg cylinders, was sold.

The government said it continues to closely monitor the supply situation and is taking necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted availability of fuel across the country.

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