On Tuesday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan declared that India and the US have decided to increase their co-operation in oil and gas, power, renewable energy, and coal sectors. Pradhan and U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-India Strategic Energy Partnership. The meeting had been announced by President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their June 26, 2017, Summit in Washington, D.C.
During the first meeting of the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership, Pradhan said that, under the partnership, the US and India will pursue four primary pillars of cooperation- Oil and Gas; Power and Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy and Sustainable Growth; and Coal. Both parties may think to establish further pillars of partnership based on mutual agreement.

The partnership affirms the strategic importance of energy cooperation to the U.S.-India bilateral relationship. It also sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful engagements through government and industry channels. As leading partners globally, the United States and India believe that energy cooperation can serve as a centre piece in the bilateral relationship. Through the Partnership, the United States and India collectively seek to enhance energy security, expand energy and innovation linkages across our respective energy sectors, bolster our strategic alignment, and facilitate increased industry and stakeholder engagement in the energy sector.

Secretary Perry and Pradhan led a high-level discussion with senior U.S. and Indian government officials that outlined their vision for the Strategic Energy Partnership and key areas of engagement. The Strategic Energy Partnership elevates the role of energy. The partnership will create important possibilities for advancing favourable policies and commercial investments in support of these goals, including in natural gas markets.

It is to be noted that the shared objectives to provide a stronger business orientation to our energy cooperation, both sides noted with gratitude. Recognizing the significance of civilian nuclear energy for meeting the growing global energy demands in a cleaner and more efficient manner, India and the United States are engaged in the implementation of the 2008 Agreement for cooperation concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which represents an important milestone in our strategic relationship.

In this regard, the two sides reaffirm their strong commitment to the early and full implementation of our civil nuclear partnership. Which also includes the Westinghouse civil nuclear project at Kovvada. Cooperation in this area is being pursued through relevant bilateral mechanisms.