Labelling India as an extraordinary country growing at an incredible scale, energy supermajor BP Plc on Monday said it is looking to expand its presence in the nation in fuel retailing and mobility solutions, but wanted natural gas to be included in the GST regime. Speaking at the India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, BP Group chief executive Bernard Looney said his firm in partnership with Reliance Industries Ltd will in the next 4-5 years set up 5,500 retail sites that will not just sell petrol and diesel but also offer mobility solutions like EV charging facility.
“India is an extraordinary country with an extraordinary history, an extraordinary group of people, and with extraordinary ambition,” he said, adding the country has a growing population, and an ambitious agenda to cut emissions. This, he said, was “very, very compelling”. “Why is India important, because it is India,” he said, adding energy mix in the country could fall from 50 per cent coal to 40 per cent, while gas and renewables will grow.
