Canada offers reliable energy supply to India amid global shake-up

Betul: The US is seeking to reorder the world's energy map, and the shifts underway globally are not temporary, Canadian energy minister Tim Hodgson said, adding that Canada can be a long-term, reliable supplier of energy to India at competitive prices.

"I don't think the changes that are happening in the world today are temporary," Hodgson told ET in an interview, responding to a question on whether the foreign and trade policies pursued by US President Donald Trump could change with a new administration three years from now. "To assume that this is not the will of some American people, this new trading order, is not prudent. We should make the assumption that America is serious about what it's doing."

Trump's moves will reshape global energy trade flows, Hodgson said. "I think the US is trying to reorder the way the world's energy map looks. It's clear. I can't speak for the Americans, but my interpretation is they want to change where people get their energy," he said.


For years, Canada has been heavily dependent on the US, which accounts for about 97% of its energy exports. In the wake of Trump's policy shifts, Canada is now seeking to diversify export destinations, stepping up economic engagement with countries such as India and China.

Canada is pitching itself as a reliable long-term supplier of crude oil, LNG, LPG and uranium to India, while also offering partnership opportunities in critical minerals, where it has rich reserves. Energy, Hodgson said, would be a key pillar of Canada's plan to double trade with India by the end of the decade.

"Our resources are competitively priced, and we can be a long-term supplier of your energy needs at attractive long-term prices," Hodgson said. "And we will be a reliable supplier, not a fair-weather supplier."

Canada will seek long-term LNG supply contracts with India, he said, as it develops large LNG export facilities and competes for buyers with major suppliers such as the US and Qatar.

Canada is also positioning itself as a supplier of LPG to India. "It's cheaper to ship from the west coast of Canada than from the Gulf Coast of the US. So should India be looking to diversify and add another supplier that could be more cost-effective, Canada could be one," Hodgson said.