Pallab Bhattacharya, Author At Newscript EnergyWorld

ONGC Begins Gas Sales from Chinnewala Tibba Field

27Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

Oil & Gas Industry

ONGC Begins Gas Sales from Chinnewala Tibba Field

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) commenced natural gas sales from the Chinnewala Tibba field in Rajasthan on August 25, 2025, according to company statements. Newscript is founded by a retired executive director of ONGC. The state-owned company began supplying 1.0 lakh standard cubic meters of gas per day to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) at Ramgarh through ONGC’s Gamnewala Gas Collection Station. The Chinnewala Tibba block covers 73 square kilometers in western Rajasthan near the Indo-Pakistan border under the Rajasthan Kutch Onland Exploratory Asset (RKOEA). The field was developed under the Discovered Small Field (DSF-II) framework. ONGC Director (Strategy & Corporate Affairs) Arunangshu Sarkar and Director (Exploration) Om Prakash Sinha atte...

India’s Offshore Gamble: ONGC, Reliance and BP Unite in Saurashtra

25Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

Oil & Gas Industry

India’s Offshore Gamble: ONGC, Reliance and BP Unite in Saurashtra

India’s growing dependence on imported crude oil has become a defining challenge for its economy. The country now imports nearly 85% of its oil requirements, creating a $220bn annual burden. Against this backdrop, three very different players — ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and BP Exploration — have joined forces in a new consortium to explore the Saurashtra basin offshore block. The partnership, under the government’s Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-IX), will focus on Block GS-OSHP-2022/2 off the coast of Gujarat. ONGC will serve as the operator with a 40 per cent stake, while Reliance and BP each hold 30 per cent. The project has been billed by the Ministry of Petroleum as a strategic collaboration to enhance India’s energy security. Join...

ReNew Reports Surge in Profit on Module Sales Boom

19Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update

ReNew Reports Surge in Profit on Module Sales Boom

ReNew, India’s largest independent renewable power producer, has reported a staggering 1,202 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit for Q1 FY2026, powered by a surge in solar module sales. The company, which has traditionally focused on generation, is reaping rewards from its vertical integration strategy. Revenue growth was driven by its new manufacturing arm, which has scaled rapidly on the back of India’s push to build domestic module capacity. By selling modules both for its own projects and to third parties, ReNew has created a new revenue stream that shields it from the volatility of power tariffs. The performance highlights a broader shift among renewable developers. Generation alone is no longer sufficient; firms are moving into manufacturing, storage, and services. Pee...

Talent Shortage Threatens India’s Renewable Ambitions

19Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update, Renewables

Talent Shortage Threatens India’s Renewable Ambitions

India’s renewable energy sector, often hailed as a global success story, is facing a growing problem: a shortage of skilled workers. Developers report rising costs and project delays as they scramble to hire engineers, technicians, and project managers for an industry expanding at unprecedented speed. The International Labour Organisation estimates that India will need millions of clean energy workers by 2030. Yet training pipelines remain thin, with vocational programmes failing to keep pace with industry demand. Developers are resorting to poaching talent from competitors, pushing wages up and straining project economics. The shortage is especially acute in specialised fields such as grid integration, storage systems, and offshore wind—areas critical for India’s next phase of trans...

Energy Stocks Lifted by Windfall Tax Cut

19Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update

Energy Stocks Lifted by Windfall Tax Cut

Indian energy and metals stocks rallied on August 18–19 after the government cut its windfall tax on crude oil, easing pressure on upstream producers. State-run ONGC gained 1.75 per cent, while peers such as Oil India and Vedanta also saw modest upticks. The move reflects the government’s balancing act between revenue generation and industry sustainability. Windfall taxes were introduced in 2022 when global crude prices surged, ensuring extraordinary profits could be partially captured for the exchequer. With prices stabilising, policymakers have trimmed the levy to avoid discouraging investment in exploration and production. For ONGC and Oil India, the relief offers immediate margin gains, though the longer-term challenge remains stagnant domestic output. Executives argue that high ...

India Reaches 100GW of Solar Module Manufacturing Capacity

19Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update

India Reaches 100GW of Solar Module Manufacturing Capacity

India has crossed a symbolic threshold in its clean energy ambitions, with approved solar module manufacturing capacity now at 100GW—a staggering leap from just 2.3GW in 2014. The announcement underscores the success of government incentives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has channelled billions into building a domestic supply chain. The milestone is as much geopolitical as industrial. For years, India was almost entirely dependent on Chinese modules, leaving developers exposed to supply shocks and price swings. The emergence of domestic capacity now promises a measure of independence, even as Chinese firms still dominate global polysilicon and wafer production. Industry executives caution, however, that approved capacity does not equate to operational ca...

West Bengal Sets New Rooftop Solar Rules to Empower Prosumers

19Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update, Renewables

West Bengal Sets New Rooftop Solar Rules to Empower Prosumers

West Bengal has become the latest Indian state to formalise rules for grid-interactive rooftop solar, issuing regulations on August 18 that could reshape how households and small businesses engage with the power sector. The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) said the new framework aims to encourage “prosumers”—consumers who also generate electricity—to feed surplus power into the grid under more transparent conditions. The regulations come as rooftop solar adoption remains patchy across India, despite ambitious national targets. West Bengal’s power demand is heavily urbanised, concentrated in Kolkata and industrial belts. Until now, the absence of clear net-metering norms has stymied uptake, with many households unwilling to invest in rooftop systems given uncertainty...

L&T and the Case for Private Nuclear Participation

18Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

Corporate Watch, News Update

L&T and the Case for Private Nuclear Participation

Larsen & Toubro’s chairman has called for private sector participation across India’s nuclear value chain, from mining to fuel processing and plant construction. The statement has reignited debate on whether India’s atomic energy ambitions can be met without loosening the state’s monopoly. India’s current nuclear capacity remains modest at 8.7GW, far below targets. Projects have long suffered delays due to financing, technology lock-ins, and limited public sector capacity. By contrast, global leaders like EDF, Rosatom, and KEPCO rely heavily on private contractors for scale and efficiency. L&T, with decades of engineering experience, argues that excluding private firms is stifling innovation and slowing execution. The appeal comes as NTPC has partnered NPCIL for a new project...

BPCL: From Refiner to Integrated Energy Innovator

18Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

News Update

BPCL: From Refiner to Integrated Energy Innovator

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is emerging as the most innovative of India’s state refiners, leveraging efficiency gains and diversification to carve out a stronger position. Its recent award of a five-month crude oil tender to Glencore for U.S. barrels highlights a willingness to experiment with sourcing that goes beyond the cautious approaches of IOC and HPCL. The procurement move is not merely about diversification—it reflects a strategy to give BPCL greater flexibility in blending crudes that enhance refining margins. Analysts note that U.S. crude grades complement its plant configurations, enabling it to outperform rivals on yields and efficiency. Parallel to procurement agility, BPCL is investing heavily in petrochemicals, with new complexes at Bina and Kochi. This downst...

US–Russia Talks Ease Oil Market Tensions

18Aug

By Pallab BhattacharyaNo Comments

Geopolitics, News Update

US–Russia Talks Ease Oil Market Tensions

A weekend round of diplomatic engagement between Washington and Moscow has soothed one of the biggest risks hanging over global oil markets: fresh sanctions on Russian energy exports. US officials signalled that no immediate measures would be taken to curb Russian crude shipments, while Moscow agreed to resume technical discussions on pricing and transit. The apparent thaw has calmed traders who feared renewed confrontation could choke off supplies and push Brent well past $70. The reprieve comes at a critical juncture. Europe remains heavily reliant on Russian oil even after diversification efforts, and Asian refiners—particularly India and China—have been pivotal in absorbing flows displaced from Western buyers. The US stance buys time for markets to adjust, though observers stress...