New Delhi, July 17, 2025 – Ushering in a new era in India’s upstream energy sector, the country’s leading energy experts participated in a special panel discussion held under the #UrjaVarta2025 Tech-Strait Forum. The topic of discussion was “Modernization of India’s Exploration and Production (E&P) sector: Impact of ORDA Act 2025”. ”
The keynote speaker of the session, Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman, ONGC, made important points on the changing scenario of energy exploration in India. He categorically stated, “India is now moving towards exploration in frontier and complex areas. The era of low-cost exploration is almost over. With increasing capital investment in deepwater and ultradeepwater, investors now need more confidence. The government, through the ORDA Act, has sent a clear signal – increasing domestic production and reducing imports is our national priority. “
The event focused on one of the biggest reforms in the oil sector – the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 2025. Under this landmark legislation, several concrete steps have been taken to bring India’s E&P framework in line with global standards. This includes simplifying licensing procedures, incentivising investment, and speeding up the process of commercial exploitation of untapped reserves.
Representatives of leading companies such as Reliance Industries Limited, BP, Oilmax Energy Pvt Ltd, and Kearney also expressed their views in the session. Everyone agreed that the ORDA Act not only aims to bring policy clarity, but it will also prove to be a milestone towards developing a future-oriented and investor-friendly ecosystem.
The important forum was also attended by officials of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) who interpreted the Act from a technical and policy perspective.
Experts believe that while India has become one of the top countries in the world in terms of energy consumption, on the other hand, it is difficult to move towards self-sufficiency without increasing domestic production capacity. In such a situation, reforms like ORDA can become a means to bridge this gap.
Overall, this session of Urja Varta 2025 made it clear that India is now moving fast beyond traditional energy policies to an entrepreneurial, tech-rich and globally competitive-ready upstream sector.
