New Delhi: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will undertake further drilling following its recent gas discovery in the Mahanadi basin under the Samudra Manthan initiative, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday, ANI reported.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 13th Annual Forum 2026: India 3.0 – Engaging for Growth in a Disrupted World, Puri said the government was pursuing several measures to reduce India’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, including domestic oil and gas exploration, biofuels and green hydrogen.
Referring to the gas discovery by ONGC and the company’s plans for further exploration, Puri said the discovery was only the beginning and that more wells would be drilled.
He said offshore exploration involved high costs, and drilling would therefore continue in areas considered commercially viable. “We are going to be digging more and more wells,” Puri said, adding that he was hopeful about the prospects following the discovery.
Puri also highlighted the government’s broader offshore exploration programme under the Samudra Manthan initiative, which is expected to support the drilling of 150 wells over three years.
The Union Cabinet approved the Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme in July 2026, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030-31.
On biofuels, Puri said India would continue with 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on imported crude oil.
“So that will remain at 20%,” he said when asked about the country’s ethanol blending level.
India achieved the 20 per cent ethanol blending target in 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 deadline. The government has also earlier clarified that no decision had been taken to increase nationwide ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent.
Puri also stressed the need to bring down the cost of producing green hydrogen to support its wider use across different sectors.
“Green hydrogen, as I mentioned, we have to bring the cost of green hydrogen down,” he said.
He pointed to the use of hydrogen in refineries and efforts by the railways to develop hydrogen-powered trains, saying the fuel could also find applications in other sectors.
“So green hydrogen is the fuel of the future,” Puri said.
The minister said India needed to pursue domestic oil and gas exploration, biofuels and green hydrogen together to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, according to ANI.
