Ahead of ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event, PM Narendra Modi meets CEOs of oil firms, says ‘Impossible not to talk energy in Houston’

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Updated: Jul 04, 2020 10:24 IST

PM Narendra Modi, who reached Houston on Saturday for the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event, had a ‘fruitful interaction’ with top energy sector CEOs at a Roundtable meeting on day one of his US visit, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said early Sunday.

“It is impossible to come to Houston and not talk energy! Had a wonderful interaction with leading energy sector CEOs. We discussed methods to harness opportunities in the energy sector,” the Prime Minister tweeted after the meet.

The discussion, held at Hotel Post Oak in Houston city, focused on working together for energy security and expanding mutual investment opportunities between India and the United States, the ministry further said.

Watch | Howdy Modi | PM Modi holds ‘fruitful’ meeting with CEOs from energy sector

“Getting straight to business. PM @narendramodi just concluded a fruitful interaction with top energy sector CEOs at a Roundtable meeting in #Houston. Discussion focused on working together for energy security and expanding mutual investment opportunities between India & US,” the official Twitter handle of foreign affairs ministry tweeted.

The meeting was aimed at diversifying India-US cooperation in the energy sector, the Prime Minister’s Office said earlier.

“Further energising India-USA friendship. Among the first engagements of PM @narendramodi in Houston is a meeting with CEOs from the energy sector. India and USA are looking to diversify cooperation in this sector,” PMO had said in a tweet.

Official handles of both PMO and external affairs ministry shared photographs of the Roundtable meeting attended by PM Modi and CEOs of top US-based oil companies.

Sources said CEOs of 17 global energy companies participated in the Roundtable. The combined net worth of these companies is $ one trillion and they have a presence in 150 countries. All companies have some engagement with or presence in India.

“The objective of the meeting was to deepen our energy cooperation as part of our strategic energy partnership,” sources said.

“CEOs talked about enhancing their footprint in India. They lauded government efforts towards Ease of Doing Business, steps taken towards deregulation in the sector, supported reforms and policies and were upbeat on the Indian economy.”

On the sidelines, an MoU was signed between Tellurian, a Houston-based energy major and Petronet LNG. Petronet will invest $2.5 billion in Tellurian’s proposed Driftwood LNG export terminal in Louisiana, in exchange for the rights to 5 million metric tons of LNG per year over 40 years.

The Prime Minister is set to address over 50,000 Indian-Americans at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event where he will share the stage with US president Donald Trump on Sunday.

The three-hour ’Howdy, Modi!’ event will start from 8:30pm IST (Indian Standard Time) and go on till 11:30pm IST. Over 1 billion people across the US and India are expected to watch its broadcast live online and on television channels.

The event at Houston’s NRG Stadium will be followed by a luncheon meeting with elected officials and a community reception at the same venue.