I am delighted to hear that The Energy & Climate Initiative Society (ENCIS), New Delhi is organizing the 7^th edition of the Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress; GRPC 2023 during 29^th & 30^th June 2023 at Hotel Le' Meridien, New Delhi, India.

Whilst the uncertain global geopolitical & economic environment have seen developed market economies exposed to external vulnerabilities, showing resilience, the Indian economy has stood up to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Under the visionary leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi Ji, the Indian economy continues to remain a global bright spot driven by policy initiatives, infrastructure development & growing energy demand.

India is world’s third largest Primary Energy Consumer, and Oil is the second largest contributor in the primary energy consumption of the country. The refining sector occupies~27 % of the primary energy mix. As India’s energy demand doubles, Oil is expected to remain major source of energy.

Among petrochemicals, India has average Petrochemical Intensity of ~5%, against the global average of ~ 10 %, which clearly indicates huge opportunity of petrochemical growth. Indian refiners are well positioned to augment refining capacity with petrochemical integration.

As India aims to achieve Net Zero by 2070, there is need for a revolutionary transformation in energy mix. At the end of the day, the best-positioned energy companies in future will be those that build a circular energy ecosystem that provides 360-degree energy solutions. Future Refinery Sustainability agenda is incomplete without inclusion of optimization and efficiency improvement in existing processes, Green H₂, Bio-feedstocks, recycling, and innovative process for waste streams utilization.

The theme of the Conference is “Future Downstream – Innovative, Resilient & Sustainable” exemplifies the need to bring Innovative solutions for sustainable growth, as well as be resilient amidst energy transition scenario.

The 7^th edition of the Global Refining & Petrochemicals Congress offers to be an excellent platform for energy leaders to interact and explore areas of collaboration for creating a Smart, Diverse and Sustainable future.

With this I convey my best wishes to all the participants for a very meaningful, valuable & successful event.