The two-day summit reinforced its position as one of India’s premier platforms for the refining and petrochemical industry, facilitating high-level discussions on energy transition, refinery modernisation, process safety, digital transformation, sustainability, and future investments shaping the sector.
The conference witnessed participation from 121 delegates, 62 distinguished speakers, 104 participating companies, 13 industry partners, 11 technical presentations, and seven strategic panel discussions, reflecting the growing importance of collaborative dialogue in navigating the future of refining.
Opening the summit, industry leaders highlighted India’s pivotal role in the global energy ecosystem and emphasised the need for resilient refining infrastructure to support the country’s economic growth ambitions. Discussions throughout the summit underscored that India’s refining sector is steadily transforming into a more integrated, technologically advanced, digitally enabled and environmentally responsible ecosystem.
Delivering the theme address on “Transforming India’s Downstream Landscape for a Self-Reliant Future,” Dr Sukla Mistry, Former Director – Refineries, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, emphasised the importance of aligning industry investments, technology adoption and policy support to build a globally competitive downstream sector. The session established broad consensus among public sector enterprises, private operators, and international technology providers on the strategic roadmap required to strengthen India’s refining capabilities while advancing national energy security objectives.
In his opening address, Abdulrahman Althukair, Managing Director, Aramco Asia India, said “India is one of the world’s most dynamic refining markets and a key partner in the evolving global energy landscape. As demand of fuels, petrochemicals, and advanced materials continues to grow, we see significant opportunities to deepen collaboration across technology, innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Aramco remains committed to supporting India’s refining sector not only as a reliable energy supplier but as a long-term strategic partner dedicated to advancing energy security, driving innovation, and enabling sustainable growth for the future.”
A special address by Dr. Vishal Choudhary, Scientist 'F', Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, focused on the need to bridge scientific research with industrial implementation. The session highlighted opportunities for refineries to collaborate with India's research institutions and technology clusters to commercialise indigenous innovations, improve process efficiency, accelerate waste valorisation initiatives, and strengthen circular economy practices across downstream operations.
Mr Rajnath Ram, Adviser – Energy, NITI Aayog, outlined India’s strategic roadmap toward sustainable refining. He emphasised the importance of creating stable policy frameworks that encourage investment in cleaner technologies, support refinery decarbonisation and facilitate the integration of biofuels, green hydrogen and carbon capture technologies. The keynote address provided valuable insights into the regulatory and investment priorities shaping India’s energy transition journey.
One of the most engaging sessions of the summit focused on transitioning to low-carbon portfolios, hydrogen integration and biofuels. Experts from industry, research institutions, and policy organisations discussed pathways to decarbonise refining operations through green hydrogen integration, advanced biofuels, pyrolytic technologies and carbon market mechanisms.
Mr Mukesh Mohan, Executive Director (Health, Safety& Environment), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., emphasised the growing importance of a risk-based process safety management framework in maintaining safe and sustainable refinery operations. He noted that process safety and operational excellence must be viewed as complementary objectives rather than separate priorities. According to him, adopting globally recognised process safety methodologies is critical to ensuring long-term asset reliability, environmental stewardship and workshop protection.
The summit also featured perspectives from regulators, including Jayanta Narayan Das, Member, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), who discussed the importance of transparency, infrastructure optimisation and consumer-centric regulation in supporting the growth of India’s natural gas and downstream sectors.
The discussions highlighted how a regulatory framework can facilitate efficient capacity utilisation, enhance market transparency and support the country’s broader energy accessibility goals.
Throughout the event, delegates engaged in meaningful exchanges on refinery digitisation, advanced process technologies, energy efficiency, sustainability strategies, workforce development, predictive maintenance, asset reliability and emerging business opportunities in the downstream value chain.
A key takeaway from the summit was the recognition that India’s refining sector must continue balancing capacity expansion with sustainability objectives. Industry leaders agreed that technology, innovation, skilled talent and strategic collaboration will play decisive roles in ensuring that Indian refineries remain globally competitive while contributing to national energy security and economic growth.
Press information and photographic material:
https://www.indiarefiningsummit.com
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