India needs to pump more of its desert oil, say industry players

Barmer, India

THE deserts of Rajasthan may be the showcase for India's solar revolution but the oil explorer that struck gold beneath the same sands insists the country needs to pump out more fossil fuels to wean itself off imports.

Ahead of this month's climate negotiations in Paris, India sought to deflect criticism by pointing to the solar panels and wind turbines sprouting across the sparsely-populated state.