New Delhi, May 24 (ANI) — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India will continue to diversify its energy supplies and maintain multiple dependable sources to meet its national obligation to provide affordable energy to citizens, calling energy security a top priority amid global uncertainty.
Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jaishankar said India has been steadily increasing energy imports from the United States, with a notable uptick in the past year. “There’s actually been a very significant uptick in our energy imports from the United States. It’s not new. It started many, many years ago, but I think it’s really picked up in the last year,” he said.
Jaishankar emphasized that India is in an “era of de-risking” and that energy, more than most sectors, requires multiple sources to reduce risk. He described the United States as having “emerged as a very significant and reliable source” for India, alongside other countries.
On the situation in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflict in West Asia, the minister said India will respond by further diversifying its energy sources. “The way we will deal with the current situation in Hormuz and, frankly, going forward as well, is to diversify our energy sources because that is at the heart of our energy security,” he said.
Jaishankar outlined the criteria guiding India’s energy strategy: affordability, accessibility and reliability. He warned against distortions and constrictions in global energy markets, noting the cost implications of such disruptions. “For our energy security, it’s important we have multiple sources, large sources, dependable sources, and cheap sources. And the United States fits the bill in many respects. So do some other countries. So we will continue to diversify and maintain multiple sources of supply at the most reasonable cost,” he added.
The comments came during Rubio’s four-day visit to India, where he will attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. India is preparing to host the security dialogue on May 26, bringing together foreign ministers from India, the United States, Australia and Japan under Jaishankar’s chairmanship to discuss developments in the Indo-Pacific and tensions across West Asia.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed from ANI and is published as received.)
