Nagpur, 1 December 2025

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, organised a full-day Chintan Shivir in Nagpur to align India’s rapidly expanding energy and allied sectors around clear and practical safety outcomes.

Shri R. N. Meena, Chief Controller of Explosives (CCE), PESO, inaugurated the event and welcomed delegates and senior PESO officers from across the country. Officers engaged closely with industry representatives throughout the day’s working sessions.

In his address, Shri Meena emphasised that “PESO is not just a regulator; it is a facilitator—guiding industry to build safety right from the design stage.” He highlighted PESO’s digital licensing through the National Single Window System (NSWS), predictable service timelines, and recent reforms such as extended licence validity, one-time approvals for certified flame-proof equipment, and periodic testing and barcoding of cylinders. These reforms, he noted, reduce compliance friction for responsible operators while enhancing overall safety assurance.

Shri Meena also drew attention to enabling provisions for hydrogen and LNG, as well as sector-wide adoption of traceability through the System for Explosives Tracking & Tracing (SETT) and the transition to electronic detonators to improve precision and deter misuse. These measures, he said, “make the safe choice the easy choice” and strengthen Atmanirbhar Bharat by enabling Indian industry to match global benchmarks.

He further underlined PESO’s nationwide footprint and its 127-year legacy of technical stewardship, supported by its Headquarters, Circle/Sub-Circle Offices and specialised centres—including the Fireworks Research and Development Centre (FRDC) at Sivakasi and the National Academy of Petroleum & Explosives Safety (NAPES) Testing Station. PESO’s role in training, handholding and enabling industry to adopt modern, globally benchmarked safety systems—along with the examination and nomination of Competent Persons for third-party inspections—was also highlighted. Shri Meena reiterated that “safety is integral to business”, noting that even a single major incident can undo years of progress and that prevention by design is the most effective path forward.

The Keynote Address was delivered by Shri Amol Ket, Director (Explosives), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, who reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to partnering with industry to ensure that growth, innovation and public trust advance together.

The programme brought together senior government officials, public and private operators, and industry associations for focused, solution-oriented deliberations. Sessions featured robust exchanges across segments such as petroleum refining and marketing, City Gas Distribution (CGD), the industrial gases ecosystem, hydrogen/green hydrogen, ammonium nitrate, explosives and fireworks. Companies represented included Indian Oil, GAIL, Reliance, MGL, Solar Industries and others, along with leading industry bodies.

Across four thematic dialogues, participants discussed inherent safety-by-design; template-based approvals for refineries, depots, caverns, jetties and multi-fuel retail outlets; association–regulator compacts; fleet-safety SOPs; end-to-end explosives tracking (SETT); electronic detonator adoption; and modernised layouts and mechanisation of magazines and manufacturing plants. Industry members appreciated PESO’s collaborative approach—clarity at the design stage, digital transparency in approvals, and strong field competence—which, they noted, enables operators to work “faster and safer”.

About PESO

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is India’s national technical regulator for petroleum, explosives and compressed gases. With over 127 years of stewardship, PESO licenses and oversees lakhs of facilities and assets across the country—including refineries, depots, pipelines, road tankers, caverns, jetties and ship-shore interfaces; cylinders and pressure vessels; industrial and medical gases (including cryogenics); explosives; and fireworks. PESO’s digital licensing via NSWS and initiatives such as SETT support safe and predictable growth across sectors.

PIB Nagpur | Saurabh Khekde/ Priti Malandkar

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