The state energy firm has signed a sale and purchase agreement to supply LNG to H-Energy Mideast DMCC (HEMD), it said in a statement. The value of the deal and the volume of LNG were not disclosed.

Dubai-based HEMD is part of the LNG arm of Indian real estate group Hiranandani Group.

Earlier this month, an Indian government official said India’s push to more than double the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2022 would require a huge increase in imports and the construction of more LNG terminals.

The 70 million-tonnes-a-year target means India would need to import more than China took last year via both pipelines and tankers, and would put Indian purchases close to the level of top importer Japan.

Petronas, the world’s third-biggest LNG supplier, has been trying to tap new markets for LNG at a time when global supply has exceeded demand. A company official had earlier flagged South Asia as an area of significant growth potential.