Amit Bhandari

Amit Bhandari

Senior Fellow, Energy, Investment and Connectivity

Amit has nearly two decades of experience as a public policy researcher, an entrepreneur and a financial analyst. He is the author of "India and the Changing Geopolitics of Oil (Routlege, 2021), a book that looks at India's changing role in the global oil trade and how it can use this heft to secure energy supplies. He is also the lead author of the report "Chinese Investments in India" (Feb 2020), which looked at China's penetration of India's startup ecosystem. He is the founder of tezbid.com, a numismatic portal.
Amit started his career with the Economic Times, where he tracked the energy sector. He was a part of the start-up team of ET Now, the business news channel. Amit was responsible for setting up India Reality Research, a new research outfit within CLSA India, a stockbroking firm. He has also worked with Deccan Chronicle Group as the business editor for their general dailies.
He holds a Master in Business Administration from IIM- Ahmedabad and a Bachelors degree in Technology from IT-BHU.  Download high-res bio image
Expertise

Energy: Trade, Markets, Geopolitics & Technology; Investments; Connectivity, Infrastructure, OBOR, BRI

Last modified: August 6, 2020

Recent projects

shutterstock_353371844 Courtesy: Shutterstock
16 April 2020 Gateway House

Oil in the post-COVID-19 world

The OPEC’s proposed cut in oil production earlier this week may not enable the energy market to recover. Recovery is likely only after COVID-19 is brought under control, but there are ways India can capitalise on the current low oil prices for its own energy security
shutterstock_365191952 (1) Courtesy: Shutterstock
19 March 2020 Gateway House

Good and bad of low oil prices

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused crude oil prices to crash almost 40% even as Saudi Arabia and Russia pump more oil into the market. Fears are rife that this crisis will hit demand. There are repercussions on the U.S., the world’s top oil producer, on India, one of its new clients, and on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries
Chinese-Investments-in-India-Report_2020_Cover Courtesy: Gateway House
9 March 2020 Gateway House

Chinese investments in India

Over the last five years, China has quietly created a significant place for itself in India – in the technology domain. While India has refused to sign on to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this report shows India's positioning in the virtual BRI to be strategically invaluable for China. Nearly $4 billion in venture investments in start-ups, the online ecosystem and apps have been made by Chinese entities. This is just the beginning; there is more to come.
shutterstock_1469502182 Courtesy: Shutterstock
27 February 2020 Mint

India-U.S. shale oil opportunity

U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to India gave a boost to bilateral energy ties. To really benefit, India’s state-owned oil companies should consider investing in U.S. shale oil. The U.S. is politically and economically stable and investors are not subject to arbitrary action. Indian companies should only be financial investors, not operators of assets, and bet on companies with manageable debt and efficient operations rather than short-term winners

Chinese Investments In India Cover final-2020 - Copy Courtesy: Gateway House
27 February 2020 Gateway House

India in the virtual Belt and Road

Over the last five years, China has quietly created a significant place for itself in India – in the technology domain. While India has refused to sign on to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this map shows India's positioning in the virtual BRI to be strategically invaluable for China. Nearly $4 billion in venture investments in start-ups, the online ecosystem and apps have been made by Chinese entities. This is just the beginning; there is much more to come.

shutterstock_201055439 Courtesy: Shutterstock
30 January 2020 Vivekananda International Foundation

China’s energy challenges: lessons for India

China’s clean-up of its cities and its success in improving urban air quality hold important lessons for India. But the outbreak of the corona virus and reports that news about it was initially suppressed tell a different story. While physical infrastructure is important, equally vital are a free media and an open society, where people are not afraid to speak
1234 Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
23 January 2020 Gateway House

Javad Zarif’s India outreach

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif was in Mumbai on 16-17 January 2020, just days after the Iran-U.S. showdown in Iraq and the assassination of Iran’s top general. Zarif explained Iran’s dilemma to audiences in India and was hoping for public support. But the fact is that the January tensions are not Iran’s problem alone; it’s a global game-changer that has propelled the formation of new alliances
Global Energy Forum Courtesy: Atlantic Council
16 January 2020 Gateway House

A post-Soleimani energy world

The Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, held in Abu Dhabi on 10-12 January 2020, had the top businesses and analysts of the global energy industry. It was also part of a larger event, the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which aims to be a global platform for sustainability in various industries

shutterstock_1221395809 Courtesy: Shutterstock
19 December 2019 Gateway House

The mystery of Aramco’s stock price

The rise in Saudi Aramco’s stock price within two days of its IPO in November 2019, has taken the company’s market value past the $2-trillion mark. This valuation should not be taken at face value for the offering is miniscule, and closely linked to the ruler's prestige rather than stock market fundamentals