Hardeep Singh Puri

Hardeep Singh Puri was born on 15 February 1952 in Daryaganj, Delhi, to Bhagat Singh Puri and Kundan Puri. He studied at Hindu College, University of Delhi, where he took a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), and later completed a master’s degree at the University of Delhi. According to his personal website, he was elected Prime Minister of the Hindu College Parliament during his student years.

Puri joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974. His posts included Under Secretary (Foreign Service Personnel) in the Ministry of External Affairs and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva and in New York, according to his personal website. He married Lakshmi M Puri, also a Foreign Service officer, in 1975; she later served with the United Nations.

Puri was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in a by-election in January 2018, to the seat vacated by Manohar Parrikar, according to his personal website. He was re-elected unopposed in November 2020. He joined the Union Council of Ministers in September 2017 with the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, and in 2019 he also held Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, according to the same source. He was sworn in as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in July 2021.

Puri was sworn in again as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 9 June 2024, when the current Council of Ministers took office, according to a Cabinet Secretariat letter dated 10 June 2024. As minister he has promoted the Ethanol Blended Petrol programme. A Press Information Bureau release of 21 August 2025 said the programme had led to payments of more than Rs 1,25,000 crore to farmers from the 2014-15 supply year to July 2025, and foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1,44,000 crore.

On 5 October 2026 the Bharatiya Janata Party released its list of Rajya Sabha candidates from Uttar Pradesh, and Puri was not included. Business Standard reported that his term from Uttar Pradesh ends on 25 November 2026, and that he had been among the names reportedly considered for renomination. He remains a Member of Parliament until that date.