India and OPEC on Monday underlined the need for sustained engagement between energy producers and consumers to encourage investment, improve supply resilience and ensure reliable energy flows amid rising global demand.

Addressing the Seventh High-Level Meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India would remain a major driver of global energy demand in the coming decades.

“As one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, India will remain an important driver of global energy demand in the decades ahead,” said Mr. Puri, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.

“A sustained dialogue between producers and consumers is essential to support investment, strengthen energy resilience and ensure reliable energy supplies for global growth and development,” Mr. Puri said.

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said engagement with India is increasingly important for the oil-exporting bloc, given the country’s growing role in the global energy landscape.

“Dialogue with India is a priority for OPEC because we recognise India’s importance within the current global energy landscape and the fact that this importance will only increase in the decades ahead,” Mr. Al Ghais said.

The OPEC-India Energy Dialogue, launched in 2015, provides a platform for discussions on market stability, transparency, cooperation and long-term energy security. At the latest meeting, Mr. Puri, emphasised that India and OPEC share a “naturally complementary and mutually beneficial relationship”.

The next round of discussions will be held in Vienna, Austria, on a mutually agreed date.