The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is backing private-sector participation in the sphere, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Resources Vilas Muttemwar told Parliament Wednesday.

He said the ministry encouraged private participation in geothermal energy by allowing access to the data collected on geothermal resources in India by National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, through the ministry's support.

"My ministry also facilitates the private sector to undertake their own investigations and assessment studies for geothermal energy and submission of detailed project report to the concerned state government for exploitation of this resource," Muttemwar said.