Panaji (Goa): Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson, on Tuesday said India is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most important energy markets, underlining the need for Canada to strengthen energy trade and cooperation with New Delhi as global demand continues to rise.
Hodgson, who is in India to attend India Energy Week in Goa, described his visit as a milestone moment in Canada-India energy relations. In a post on X, he noted that this marks the first time a Canadian federal minister has participated in India Energy Week and the first formal energy dialogue between the two countries in eight years.
Stressing Canada’s ambitions, Hodgson said expanding energy trade with India is essential if Canada aims to position itself as a global energy leader. He pointed out that India represents one of the largest and fastest-growing energy markets in the world, making it a natural partner for Canadian energy exports.
Highlighting future trends, the Canadian minister said India’s demand for both traditional and clean energy sources is expected to grow faster over the next decade than that of China and the entire Southeast Asian region combined. He added that this growth presents a major opportunity for Canada, particularly as it looks to diversify exports beyond the United States.
Hodgson said Canada is keen to supply India with liquefied natural gas, uranium, clean energy solutions and critical minerals. He also referred to infrastructure opportunities, including floating storage facilities for liquefied gas, as a way to support deeper cooperation in both conventional and renewable energy sectors and contribute to India’s energy transition.
During his visit to Goa and Delhi, Hodgson is scheduled to meet Indian government officials, industry leaders and Canadian businesses to explore new trade and investment partnerships in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, addressing India Energy Week, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said India is at the centre of the global energy transformation. He noted that as the world’s third-largest energy consumer and one of the fastest-growing major economies, India’s energy demand will continue to rise across all sources.
Puri said India’s share of global energy demand is projected to increase to around 10 percent by 2050, accounting for nearly 30–35 percent of incremental global demand. He added that despite rapid growth, India’s per capita energy consumption remains significantly below the global average, making its development both necessary and responsible. He emphasised that the government is supporting this growth by expanding capacity, improving market conditions and promoting a balanced energy mix.
