PM Modi Inuagurates India’s First Greenfield Refinery-Petrochemical Hub; States How Country Tackled Hormuz Crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated India's first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Rajasthan to the nation, saying the facility reflected the country's push towards energy self-reliance.

During his speech in Balotra, PM Modi also claimed that India successfully navigated the West Asia crisis by making calculated decisions and positively using its diplomatic strength.

The prime minister also inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth around Rs 1.06 lakh crore, spanning energy, transport, railways, roads, urban infrastructure and renewable power.

The refinery, developed as a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Rajasthan government, has been built at an investment of over Rs 79,450 crore. It has a refining capacity of 9 MMTPA and a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 MMTPA, and is expected to strengthen domestic fuel production, improve petrochemical output and generate employment in the region.

Modi said the project demonstrated the BJP government's focus on completing major infrastructure works.

"From this land, India has taken a major step towards becoming a developed and self-reliant nation. Today, a refinery has been dedicated to the country. This refinery will become a source of employment for thousands of people here. I especially congratulate the youth of Rajasthan on this refinery. Today stands as proof that BJP governments do not merely lay foundation stones for projects and then abandon them. Rather, we work day and night to ensure those projects are completed."

PM Says ‘India Made Right Decisions’ During West Asia Conflict

A large part of Modi's speech centred on the recent West Asia conflict and the disruption it caused to India's energy supply chain.

He said the government acted swiftly to minimise the impact by combining diplomatic efforts with domestic policy measures.

"India has made the right decisions at every level... accurately assessed the crisis in time... devised an effective strategy... made balanced use of India's resources. India made positive use of its diplomatic power. And only then has India been able to recover from the crisis."

"Will power and efforts of new India of 21st century have prevailed over century's biggest energy crisis," he further added.

Explaining the scale of the challenge, Modi said a large share of India's cooking gas supplies depended on imports routed through the Strait of Hormuz.

"About 60% of our LPG requirements were met through imports, with 90% of that supply coming from Gulf nations, passing through Hormuz, when suddenly, war conditions brought that supply to a near-halt. You can imagine the massive crisis that was looming over our country."

Government Ramped Up LPG Output, Expanded PNG Network

PM Modi said the government responded by reconfiguring refineries to raise domestic LPG production within days.

"As soon as the crisis began, we focused on leveraging our refinery capabilities. Refineries that previously produced other products were directed to manufacture LPG, and within just seven days, LPG production increased. Domestic LPG production rose from 35,000 metric tonnes to 54,000 metric tonnes during the crisis. Refineries that had never produced LPG before were reconfigured to do so."

He said the government also worked to reduce dependence on LPG by rapidly expanding piped natural gas (PNG) connections.

"The government also ensured that the entire burden of cooking gas demand did not fall solely on LPG. A campaign was launched to expand PNG connections. In a very short span of time, India connected over 1.1 million households to PNG."

Infrastructure Push Across Rajasthan

Besides dedicating the refinery, Modi unveiled projects worth around Rs 1.06 lakh crore and flagged off refinery production tankers from the complex.

Among the key announcements was the foundation stone for the second phase of the Jaipur Metro, a project worth over Rs 13,000 crore. The 41-km north-south corridor will comprise 36 stations connecting major residential and industrial areas of Jaipur.

In the renewable energy sector, the prime minister dedicated SJVN Limited's 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Energy Project, built at an investment of about Rs 5,500 crore, and NHPC's 300 MW Karnisar Bikaner Solar Energy Plant. He also inaugurated a transmission line for evacuating renewable power from the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone and laid the foundation stone for a 530-km transmission system.

Earlier in the day, Modi inaugurated the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport, developed at a cost of Rs 480 crore, and launched the Modified UDAN scheme, which has an outlay of Rs 28,840 crore over the next decade to expand regional aviation infrastructure.

The prime minister also handed over appointment letters to around 54,000 newly recruited Rajasthan government employees and said the long-pending water crisis in the Shekhawati region was nearing resolution.