Puri: Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025 was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi along with Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, here on Saturday.
GELS is India’s first platform dedicated to long-term energy cooperation between states and has been modelled along the lines of global platform COP held in Brazil in recent past. The Summit positions Odisha at the forefront of the nation’s clean, resilient, and innovation-driven energy transition. GELS is designed as a permanent mechanism for structured dialogue between States and national institutions. It brings together leaders from the Union Government, States, global agencies, industry, and top research institutions.
The theme for this year, “Powering India: Sufficiency, Balance, Innovation, reflects India’s strategic priorities. for energy sufficiency, ecological harmony, and technology-led innovations across the energy sector.
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Odisha, outlined the Summit’s vision.
Mohan Charan Majhi stressed on the need for uninterrupted power supply particularly for rural and poorer masses. Citing Odisha’s high percentage of more than six percent of the state’s gross domestic product allocated to capital expenditure, he said that the state was investing in future generation s and electricity was a top priority and critical infrastructure.
He also stated that like Odisha, every state had its strengths and priorities. GELS 2025 will be the first pan-India initiative bringing together the Union, states, industry, researchers, institutions and global leaders.Shri Pralhad Joshi thanked the Government of Odisha for the initiative and announced the approval of one and half lakh Surya Ghar (rooftop solar installations), that will benefit seven to eight lakh people in the state. India’s solar capacity in creased from 2.8 GW in 201 4 to 130 GW under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He acknowledged Odisha’s significant contribution in strengthening India’s transition to clean energy.
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair, addressed the Summit virtually,
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said, “By 2030, we aim for a strong shift to renewable energy across industry and agriculture, by 2036, when Odisha turns 100, we want to be the leading centre for clean energy, manufacturing, and green hydrogen. By 2047, we hope to anchor the Net Zero industrial ecosystemn based on clean fuel, circular systemns and innovation.”
Ashish Sood, Minister of Power, Delhi, noted that future challenges cannot be solved by States working in isolation, calling GELS a unifying platform for grid reform, renewable expansion, and institutional strengthening.
Heera Lal Nagar, Minister of Energy, Rajasthan, also addressed the inaugutal event.
GELS 2025 is being attended by a distinguished lineup of global and national figures shaping energy transitions worldwide. Participants include Ms. Lena Backer, Former Chairwoman of the India-EU Trade Council; Dr. Andrew Fleming, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom; Ms. Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General of IRENA; Mir. Pierre Noël, Senior Energy Adviser at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO of Tata Power; Prof. Anoop Singh, Head of the Centre for Energy Regulation and Energy Analytics Lab at IT Kanpur, and Prof. Srinivasan Madhavi, Executive Director of the Energy Research Institute at NTU Singapore. They are joined by technical and sectoral specialists such as Mr. William Morrison of MetricsLed (UK), Dr. Dhruba Purkayastha of ORF, Prof. Raghu Murtugudde of the University of Maryland, Senior Advocate Sanjay Sen, and Prof. Subranshu Samantaray of IT Bhubaneswar.
The Summit adopts a structured format that follows COP and is grounded in a community-of-practice approach. Over two days, leaders, experts, and industry titans Wilengag in thematic panel discussions, interactive dialogues with global experts, deep-dive sessions on frontier issues such as Al-enabled grid security, carbon markets, climate risk, nuclear innovation, and advanced financing, and closed-door deliberations between CEOs and ministers.
GELS 2025 is organised in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (ITK).
The platform draws inspiration from global initiatives such as communities of practice for Education Ministers in Latin America and regional coordination mechanisms across the African energy sector.
TBI’s Mi. Pierre Noë commended the Government of Odisha for establishing “‘a structured forum for long- term cooperation at a moment when India must lead not only domestically but globally.”
Through the discussions, working groups, and forthcoming declarations, the Summit is expected to significantly shape India’s long-term energy roadmap and cement the country’s leadership in the global transition towards clean, reliable, competitive, and inclusive power systems.
