Iran-India gas pipeline put on the back burner

India is focused on exploiting its own reserves and has placed the Iran-India gas pipeline project on the back burner, former Indian minister of petroleum and natural gas Mani Shankar Aiyar told Emirates Business.

Aiyar headed the Indian oil and gas ministry for two years from May 2004 to June 2006 when the deal was extensively discussed.

"The deal is now on the back burner. India is now focusing on its own reserves, especially the Krishna-Godavari basin gas," Aiyar said. Asked whether the Indian reserves will be enough to meet the country's consumption, Aiyar said: "That's what everyone is believing."