In February 2025, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Ministry of Power (MoP) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA); and Ed Miliband, Secretary for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for the United Kingdom (UK), co-chaired the 4th India-UK Energy Dialogue in New Delhi (Delhi).
- During this dialogue, both nations reviewed the progress made in the energy sectors, including power and renewable energy (RE), and also reaffirmed their commitment to a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive energy future.
Key Announcements:
i.During the dialogue, the Ministers announced the launch of Phase-2 of the India-UK bilateral Accelerating Smart Power & Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) programme.
- The main objective of this phase is to provide technical support for ensuring round-the-clock power supply, expanding RE initiatives, and boosting industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization, in partnership with the MoP and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Note: The Phase 1 of ASPIRE program was officially launched in 2021. The program is implemented in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
ii.The Ministers announced the establishment of a UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce. The key focus areas for the taskforce will be: advancing offshore wind ecosystem development, supply chains, and financing models in both countries.
iii.Both countries announced the continuation of the Power Sector Reforms programme under the UK Partnering for Accelerating Climate Transitions (UKPACT), considering the significance of power market regulations in promoting the energy transition which will help in ensuring greater energy security and access.
- Also, a new taskforce has been proposed to be set-up between Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM), the UK and Central Electricity Regulatory Commission(CERC), Government of India(GoI), to support RE integration and grid transformation in India.
Other Key Points:
i.During the bilateral dialogue, Ministers of both countries highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security and sustainable development and emphasized expanding the bilateral co-operation in areas like: power distribution, sector reforms, industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization, and electric mobility
- While, simultaneously exploring new avenues in the emerging fields such as energy storage, green data centers, and offshore wind, with more focus on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
ii.They also discussed the development of trade missions focusing on offshore wind and green hydrogen, as well as the cooperation between Energy System Catapult of UK and Power Trading Corporation of India.
iii.The bilateral dialogue concluded with the launch of the ‘Best Practices Compendium of Industrial Energy Efficiency/ Decarbonisation’ and a ‘Pathways for Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation in the India Aluminium Sector’.
Note: 5th UK-India Energy Dialogue is scheduled to be held in 2026.
About Ministry of Power (MoP):
Union Minister- Manohar Lal Khattar (Constituency- Karnal, Haryana)
Minister of State (MoS)- Shripad Yesso Naik (Constituency- North Goa, Goa)
About the United Kingdom (UK):
Prime Minister (PM) – Keir Starmer
Capital- London
Currency- Pound Sterling (GBP)
