India Plans Deepwater Exploration and Reserve Expansion to Strengthen Energy Security

India is advancing a three-pronged energy security strategy that includes launching Mission Samudra Manthan, a national deepwater exploration initiative aiming to increase exploratory wells from 30 to 100 annually by 2031. The plan also proposes augmenting strategic petroleum reserves by 6 million metric tonnes to achieve a 90-day crude buffer and enhancing the country's refining and petrochemical capacities. Cabinet approvals for these measures are expected by mid-2024 amid concerns over geopolitical tensions affecting oil imports.