Editor's Note: In light of a pair of notable overseas visits that highlight India's growing thirst for energy, we are republishing this foundational analysis from Jan. 7, 2016. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first official visit to Saudi Arabia last week. Among discussions with Saudi King Salman, energy cooperation was high on the agenda — Saudi Arabia is India's largest supplier of crude oil. Indian Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will then visit Iran for two days starting April 9. He and an Indian delegation will discuss developing the Farzad-B natural gas field with Riyadh's archrival. The visits highlight India's deepening reliance on energy imports to satisfy its growing demands as the world's fourth-largest consumer of refined petrochemicals. India is a country of Himalayan proportions. Its population of nearly 1.3 billion is larger than North America and Europe's combined population.