India is now an associate member of International Energy Agency

India has become the associate member of International Energy Agency ( IEA), the Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization. As per the IEA, this makes the organization more relevant and reflects India’s shift under focus of the global energy dialogue.

India’s entry into IEA was announced by Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mines Minister Piyush Goyal, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and IEA executive director Fatih Birol. The body was set up in 1974 after the OPEC cartel made an abrupt rise in oil prices.

India will now be involved in the key committees and dialogues of the IEA, and in its capacity as the associate member, will also be able to represent the interests of the emerging markets of the world.

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India is the world's third-largest oil consumer, and its inclusion is an important achievement for IEA, said Birol. He added that India has made significant development in the field of energy efficiency, renewable power generation and providing uninterrupted power supply to its citizens.

Also read: ‘Energy-hungry’ India might be able to import natural gas from the US

After India’s entry, IEA now formally covers 70% of the world's energy consumption.

(Image source: Twitter)