The Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) is seeking to become the nodal agency for gas imports from Bangladesh. The company has made this request to the ministry of petroleum and natural gas in a bid to ensure its future growth and survival in an increasingly competitive environment.
The company has made the request following a meeting with Union minister of petroleum and natural gas, Ram Naik, in July, when they had discussed the LNG project in Iran and import of gas from Bangladesh, among other issues.
GAIL, which has been working on the import of gas from Bangladesh for the last several years, views the bagging of this mandate as critical for its long-term growth, officials said.
The company has been looking for avenues to sustain its position in the gas sector, especially since it feels that its growth opportunities have drastically eroded after the implementation of the New Exploration and Licensing Policy, CBM (Coal Bed Methane) Policy, as well as inclusion of gas under OGL.
The new policy has been a major change vis-
