By Newscript News Network
August 20, 2025
India’s flagship explorer Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is preparing to enter the strategically vital helium market with a landmark ₹40 crore investment in Tamil Nadu. On August 20, ONGC Energy Centre Trust signed an agreement with Engineers India Limited (EIL) to set up the country’s first indigenous helium recovery plant.
Helium is critical for MRI machines, semiconductor fabrication, space research, and defence technologies. Currently, India relies almost entirely on imports from the US and Qatar, leaving it vulnerable to global shortages. “Helium is rare, irreplaceable, and expensive. By developing indigenous recovery, ONGC is giving India both security and leverage,” said a senior ONGC scientist.
The Tamil Nadu facility will use natural gas by-products to capture helium, offering a scalable model across ONGC’s upstream assets. Energy analysts view this as part of ONGC’s diversification into advanced fuels, complementing its renewable and hydrogen push.
The day also marked the retirement of Executive Director Vepa Venkateswara Prasad, a veteran who spent over three decades guiding ONGC through volatile oil cycles. Colleagues described him as “a mentor whose technical rigour and calm leadership steadied ONGC in turbulent times.”
With helium recovery, ONGC is signalling that India’s energy security will be shaped not just by oil, but by rare gases and self-reliance.