India to lead global oil demand: S&P Global

Robust Outlook

- ARUNIMA BHARADWAJ

EVEN AS LONG-TERM global oil demand is projected to decline due to alternative energy adoption and efficiency gains, India is expected to lead the global oil demand growth, as per S&P Global Commodity Insights.

The growth in demand will, however, increase the country's import dependency, reinforcing the need for a diversified crude sourcing strategy amid inadequate domestic supplies.

US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on all trading partners have introduced significant economic uncertainty, potentially reducing global GDP growth from 2.8% in 2024 to 2.2% in 2025, the agency said. This, S&P forecasts, could cut oil demand growth from 1.2 million barrels per day to 0.8 million b/d in 2025, with the possibility of zero or negative growth in the second half of the year.