Three Indian state-owned refineries signed a long-term agreement with the United States on Monday to import 2.2 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2026, in a strategic move to bolster energy relations amid India’s efforts to finalize a trade deal with Washington.

The leading Indian refineries—Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum—jointly issued a tender for U.S. LNG supplies, Bloomberg reported.

Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Puri said on X that the deal will allow India, the world’s second-largest LNG consumer, to source about 10% of its imports from the U.S. Gulf Coast, a significant increase from less than 0.6% last year