India must forge reliable crystal ball to forecast its oil demand

Vandana Hari is founder of Vanda Insights, a Singapore-based global energy market intelligence provider.

As India picks up the unenviable mantle of being the biggest driver of global oil demand growth from China, the potential trajectory of its consumption has come under the spotlight. But as forecasts from internationally recognized analysts and agencies fail to gain the confidence of industry leaders, investors and policymakers in the country, it needs to forge its own crystal ball.