Murli S. Deora is the Republic of India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Long active in Indian politics at the national, state, and municipal levels, Mr. Deora has held many prominent civic positions including: member, Committee on Finance from 2002 to the present; chairman, Parliamentarians for Global Action, India, from 2003 to the present; chairman, Maharashtra Small Scale Industrial Development Corp. from 1982 to 1985; and mayor of Mumbai from 1977 to 1978.

Mr. Deora has been actively involved in social work for the last several years. As vice chairman, Gandhi Institute of Computer Education & Information Technology of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, he initiated free computer training programs for poor and unprivileged youth in more than 30 cities in India. As vice chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society, he has helped mobilize relief work during natural and man-made calamities.

Mr. Deora also serves as vice president, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva.

In a lecture at the Baker Institute and co-sponsored by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Deora gives a lecture on India's Quest for Energy Security followed by a brief question and answer session.