ADNOC and India: strengthening energy ties for a sustainable future

As we gather for the Third Edition of India Energy Week in New Delhi, we stand at the crossroads of a new era of human progress and global prosperity that will be shaped by three megatrends: the rise of emerging economies, the transformation of global energy systems and the rapid growth of AI.

Among the drivers of these megatrends is the world’s population which is expected to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050 from the current 8 billion, a rise that will increase demand for energy. Meeting this demand will require a diversity of energy options and the transformation of current energy systems.

With its broad portfolio across the energy spectrum – spanning renewables, nuclear, hydrogen and hydrocarbons – the UAE has been at the forefront of this energy transformation. At ADNOC, we are embracing these megatrends to future-proof our business, drive decarbonisation and deliver long-term sustainable value and growth.

In collaboration with long-standing partners, such as India, we are expanding access to energy to meet rising demand, empower lives and enable a more secure and sustainable energy future. Underscoring the deep-rooted, longstanding strategic and historic relationship between the UAE and India is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), under which bilateral trade has flourished across multiple sectors, including energy.

As a testament to this relationship, ADNOC has established several strategic partnerships with Indian companies across the energy value chain including with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), ONGC Videsh, GAIL and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. We have also welcomed Indian companies as partners in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas concessions, providing a path to securing long-term energy supplies for India. Today, India is ADNOC’s second largest market for crude oil. Our partnership with India is not just about supply—it is about co-creating long-term energy solutions.

In a world where a billion people still lack access to energy, we need all energy solutions to meet demand and we need everyone who can provide solutions to work closely together. This is the thinking behind XRG, ADNOC’s $80+ billion international energy investment company. With an initial focus on international gas, global chemicals, and low carbon energies, XRG is set to lead transformative investments in global energy systems and solutions to meet the increase in energy demand.

AI is also proving to be an important tool in accelerating the journey to transform energy systems. To this end, ADNOC has integrated AI across our value chain to enhance efficiencies and unlock greater value from our assets and resources. For example, together with AIQ, we recently completed the trial phase of ENERGY^ai, the world’s first-of-its-kind agentic AI solution tailored for the energy sector. The solution, which uses AI agents and combines large language model technology with proprietary data, successfully demonstrated significant improvements to seismic interpretation, reservoir performance and monitoring.

As one of the fastest growing world economic powers and largest energy consumers, India plays a crucial role in the global energy transformation. On our part, ADNOC continues to engage with our Indian partners to explore new ways to enhance energy security, expand access to cleaner energy, and drive innovation in emerging technologies. We see significant potential to strengthen collaboration in line with India’s ambitions for economic growth and energy security.

The UAE and India share a common vision of innovation, sustainability, and economic prosperity. As ADNOC continues to drive growth and value creation opportunities, we look forward to deepening our collaboration with India to deliver the energy needed to empower more people and communities.