Innovation, digital technologies and collaboration with startups will be central to strengthening India’s refining sector amid supply disruptions and expanding capacity, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) Chairman and Managing Director Vikas Kaushal said on Wednesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the 29th Energy Technology Meet (ETM) 2026 in New Delhi, Kaushal said the event had expanded its scope to emerging areas including compressed biogas (CBG), startups and innovation. ETM brings together participants from India’s downstream oil industry to discuss technology and exchange ideas. Kaushal said the expanded event could support collaboration and accelerate initiatives such as the Govardhan scheme and MC Square, an innovation platform. MC Square is mentoring around 43-45 participants in its current cohort, with several startups showcasing their solutions at the event. He said India had established strengths in refining but needed to integrate innovation into operations to address emerging challenges. Digital startups using data in new ways could contribute to the sector’s next phase, while Indian-trained professionals were already operating refineries in regions including the Middle East and Africa. Kaushal also highlighted HPCL’s recent operational developments. The company commissioned a residue upgradation facility at its Visakhapatnam refinery at the beginning of the year. The facility enables deep conversion of bottom-of-the-barrel material into diesel and other light distillates, achieving a conversion rate of 93 per cent. He described the facility as one of the most complex deep-conversion technologies and said HPCL was working to optimise its operations. The company also commissioned India’s latest greenfield refinery during the year. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 4, the refinery has a complexity index of around 17, which Kaushal said was the second-highest after Reliance Industries. He said technology and innovation would remain important as HPCL and the wider refining industry respond to changing supply conditions and expand their capabilities.