ABSTRACT
The quotes here endorse the general perception that gas is the preferred fuel of the future on account of it being economically attractive and environmentally friendly. They also offer Indian rationale and suggest the route to it: since India is surrounded by a gas-rich neighbourhood, it needs to acquire it from the neighbouring countries; since India is set on a high economic growth with a scarcity of indigenous supply of hydrocarbons, it needs to pursue pipeline supply option from all feasible sources, and it should opt for contractual arrangements to benefit from competition
among the suppliers. The first quote comes from the India Hydrocarbon Vision, 2025. The then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee placed it in both houses of parliament in March 2000. The second quote comes from the Report of the Group on India Hydrocarbon Vision 2025. After more than a decade and a half, not a single transnational pipeline has been constructed. Nor is an agreement on one finalised. The chapter seeks to inquire into the reasons thereof and to assess the losses therefrom.
