Mr Sunil Kumar Jha, Director General, Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, today while addressing the FICCI conference on ‘Fire Safety in Oil and Natural Gas Industries’, stated that as India moves towards its goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and transitions to a diversified energy mix, hydrocarbons will continue to play a major role. Ensuring safety, continuity, and resilience of oil and gas operations, he noted, is not just an industrial priority but a shared responsibility and a matter of national interest.
Speaking on the importance of preparedness and compliance, Mr Narendra Singh Bundela, Inspector General, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, stressed that for a fast-growing and independent economy like India, long-term energy security is indispensable. He added that while safeguarding assets is important, ensuring robust safety procedures and strict adherence to government guidelines, industry standards, and regulations is equally critical for sustaining the sector.
Mr Sanjib Biswas, Director (MO-LPG), Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, emphasised that as the apex safety body under the Ministry, OISD plays a proactive and preventive role in safeguarding India’s oil and gas sector. He noted that OISD strengthens industry safety through the formulation of robust safety standards, regular safety audits, regulation of offshore operations, capacity building of safety professionals, and alignment of Indian safety practices with global benchmarks through international cooperation.
Mr Ayush Gupta, Co-Chair, FICCI Committee on Corporate Security & DRR and Director (Human Resources), GAIL (India) Limited, underscored that the oil and gas sector is central to India’s energy security, while also being highly sensitive to operational risks. He emphasised that even a small lapse can have far-reaching consequences for human life, assets, the environment, and public confidence. Highlighting the ethical dimension of safety, he noted that safety is not merely a technical or regulatory requirement, but a moral responsibility and professional obligation guiding every decision, system design, and operational process.
Mr Rituraj Mehta, Co-Chair, FICCI Committee on Corporate Security & DRR and Group Safety Head, Adani Group, during his closing remarks acknowledged the dignitaries and further noted that zero incidents should not merely be an aspiration, it must be the standard. In high-risk sectors like oil and natural gas, safety excellence has to be built into everyday operations and decision-making, he added.
Mr Mehta emphasized that effective fire safety and risk management demand strong collaboration among industry, regulators, responders, technology providers and policymakers, working together with shared accountability.
