Bhubaneswar: The State government is all set to convene global and national energy leaders in Puri for the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025, from 5-7 December 2025. The summit is designed along the annual global COP that provides high-level platform for quality engagement amongst leaders. GELS will play a significant role in shaping India’s long-term energy future. The Summit will bring together representatives from Union Government about 15 Indian States and more than 30 national and international experts on energy.
The theme for GELS 2025 is “Powering India: Sufficiency, Balance, Innovation”. It reflects India’s priorities for its energy future. “Sufficiency” relates to ensuring adequate and affordable power for all citizens and industries; “Balance” is about harmonising ecological and environmental needs with economic activities; and “Innovation” spans technological breakthroughs, financial instruments, and policy reform that will be critical for navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving global energy landscape.
The GELS platform is unique as it also provides different states to share the learnings of power sector and also deliberate on the challenges that they face. The sessions will also provide an opportunity for the Energy Leaders to interface with subject experts on technical and futuristic topics such as trading of power, energy storage, nuclear power generation, data sharing, use of AI grid security etc.
Deputy Chief Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, emphasised Odisha’s commitment to energy leadership in this moment of rapid global change. He stated that GELS 2025 will be “a COP for India’s energy sector,” offering a platform where States can exchange successful models, adopt innovation-driven strategies, and strengthen both cooperative and competitive federalism. He added that “Odisha is proud to host a summit that brings leading voices together to support India’s journey to secure, sustainable, and future-ready energy systems.”
Principal Secretary, Energy Department, Vishal Kumar Dev, who is leading the Summit, 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 in 1990s; by hosting the inaugural GELS 2025 the legacy continues”.
The Summit will host a distinguished lineup of global and national leaders, bringing unparalleled depth and diversity to discussions on the future of energy. Key speakers include Ms. Lena Backer, Chairwoman of the India–EU Trade Council and former Enforcement Director, Government of Sweden; Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Pierre Noël, Senior Energy Adviser, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO, Tata Power; Prof. Anoop Singh, Head of the Centre for Energy Regulation (CER) and Energy Analytics Lab, IIT Kanpur; Ms. Vibhuti Garg, Director – South Asia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), USA; and Prof. Srinivasan Madhavi, Executive Director, Energy Research Institute, NTU Singapore. B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog will also speak at GELS 2025 as a distinguished dignitary and will join the closing plenary session on 7 December.
They will be joined by an eminent group of sectoral experts, including Prashant Choubey, President & Head – Green Hydrogen & Green Ammonia Business, Avaada Group; Mr. William Morrison, Chairman, MetricsLed (UK); Dr. Andrew Fleming, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom; Dr. Dhruba Purkayastha, Adviser, Observer Research Foundation; Prof. Raghu Murtugudde, Emeritus Professor, University of Maryland; Shri Surendra Joshi, Outstanding Scientist, Nuclear Power Corporation of India; Senior Advocate Sanjay Sen; and Prof. Subranshu Samantaray, IIT Bhubaneswar, among other distinguished participants.Their collective expertise will provide high-level perspectives on contemporary and frontier issues shaping India’s energy transition.
Union and State governments have extended strong support to GELS 2025, with active participation from ministries and senior leadership across the country. The Summit will see representation from the Union Ministries of Power and New & Renewable Energy, alongside multiple State governments. Participating dignitaries include Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy; Shripad Naik, Minister of State, Power & New & Renewable Energy, Government of India; Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh; Vishnu Deo Sai, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh; Ashish Sood, Minister of Power, Government of NCT of Delhi; F. Rodingliana, Minister of Power & Electricity, Mizoram; Heeralal Nagar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Energy, Rajasthan; Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India; and Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India.
The Summit will be formally inaugurated on 6 December by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, as well as Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary. Energy and Power Secretaries and senior officials from several States including Rajasthan, Mizoram, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam will also be in attendance, underscoring the nationwide commitment to accelerating India’s clean-energy transition and securing its energy future. Delegates of GELS 2025 will experience the rich arts and culture of Odisha with a visit to the Konark Festival on 5 December.
Organised in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), GELS 2025 is based on successful global models where similar platforms have supported regional and national collaboration such as communities of practice for Education Ministers in Latin America and Energy Ministers across Africa. Senior Energy Adviser of Tony Blair Institute Pierre Noel congratulated Government of Odisha for taking up the initiative. Managing Director of GRIDCO Dr. Satyapriya Rath and Financial Adviser-cum-Additional Secretary Dr. Debi Dutta Tripathy also spoke at the event.
Aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve Net Zero by 2070, GELS 2025 aims to establish a sustained mechanism for dialogue and cooperation between States, national institutions, and international experts. The Summit is expected to play a significant role in shaping India’s long-term energy roadmap and supercharging the country’s leadership in the global transition to clean, reliable, and equitable power.
