Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to host the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025 from December 5-7 in Puri, bringing together global and national energy leaders to deliberate on India’s long-term energy roadmap.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo described GELS 2025 as “a COP for India’s energy sector,” emphasising its role in strengthening both cooperative and competitive federalism by offering a platform for States to exchange successful models and adopt innovation-driven strategies.
Shri Singh Deo who is leading the summit, highlighted Odisha’s legacy as the first state in India to reform its power sector in the 1990s.
Principal Secretary, Energy Department, Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, underscored that Odisha is fully geared up to host this landmark Summit. He noted that “the coming decade of India’s energy reform will be defined not only by increasing capacity but by strengthening institutions, improving coordination, and building collaboration between States. Odisha was the first state in India to reform its power sector reforms in 1990s; by hosting the inaugural GELS 2025 the legacy continues”.
Designed along the lines of the global COP, the summit will convene representatives from the Union Government, about 15 Indian States, and more than 30 national and international experts, said Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary Energy , Electronics & Information Technology.
The central theme for GELS 2025 is “Powering India: Sufficiency, Balance, Innovation.” This theme encapsulates the country’s energy priorities: “Sufficiency” for ensuring adequate and affordable power for all; “Balance” for harmonising ecological needs with economic activities; and “Innovation” across technology, finance, and policy to navigate the evolving global energy landscape.
The summit will facilitate high-level discussions on futuristic and technical topics such as trading of power, energy storage, nuclear power generation, data sharing, and AI for grid security.
A distinguished lineup of speakers will be participating, including Ms. Lena Backer, Chairwoman of the India–EU Trade Council; Ms. Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Mr. Pierre Noël, Senior Energy Adviser, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; and Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO, Tata Power. Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, will join the closing plenary session.
Key dignitaries from the government include Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy; Shri Shripad Naik, Minister of State, Power & New & Renewable Energy; Chief Ministers Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh and Shri Vishnu Deo Sai of Chhattisgarh; and several State Energy Ministers and Secretaries.
The summit, organised in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and IIT Kanpur, will be formally inaugurated on December 6 by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Smt. Pravati Parida. Delegates will also experience the state’s culture with a visit to the Konark Festival on December 5.
Aligned with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to achieve Net Zero by 2070, GELS 2025 is expected to establish a sustained mechanism for collaboration between States, national institutions, and international experts to shape India’s energy future.