Dharmendra Pradhan bats for Atmanirbhar Bharat, asks students in foreign universities to return

As the government pushes for a self-reliant India -- 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' -- Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has appealed to the Indian students enrolled in global universities to come back and innovate in their own country.

Speaking at an e-meet or a video conference with Indian students across the world, regarding self-reliance in the oil and gas sector, the minister noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target for reduction of 10 per cent in energy import dependency by 2022.

In this regard, the government has taken several policies as well as administrative measures to augment domestic oil and gas production and reduce dependency on imports for meeting the energy requirements of the country, he added.

He said that the Prime Minister has envisioned a clear road map for India's energy future which rests on five key enablers of energy availability and accessibility for all, energy affordability to the poorest of the poor, efficiency in energy use, energy sustainability for combating climate change and energy security for mitigating global uncertainties.

"India has made its presence felt in the global energy map. We are engaging with OPEC, IEA, IEF and all other major voices in the world energy discussions. India has engaged with the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and all major energy producers, under a policy of diversification of supply sources," he said.

On the ongoing pandemic, Pradhan said that the country is in the midst of an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that challenges the fundamental assumptions of people's lives.

"While the immediate economic impact may slow us down, we are presented with an opportunity to pause, rethink, and redesign," the minister told the students.