India's Gas Sector Soars: From Expanding LPG Connections to Transformative Refining Hubs

Over the past 11 years, India has undergone a remarkable transformation in its petroleum and natural gas sector, expanding LPG connections from 14 crore pre-2014 to over 33 crore today. Additionally, the natural gas pipeline network has grown from 14,000 km to more than 22,500 km, establishing India as a rapidly growing refining hub globally, according to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. Speaking at the inauguration of Indraprastha Gas Limited's (IGL) new office at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi, Puri highlighted these achievements.

The Minister also unveiled a new Smart Gas Meter Manufacturing facility, developed by IGL in collaboration with Genesis Gas Solutions, capable of producing one million gas meters annually, including smart and prepaid variants. Set to commence production in October 2025, the facility aims to bolster India's self-reliance in gas meter manufacturing, enhancing IGL's capacity to deliver modern, efficient, and affordable services. Puri emphasized the extension of PNG connections to 250 villages in Delhi, bringing urban amenities like clean cooking fuel to over 1 lakh rural households. He stressed that these efforts are not just about infrastructure expansion, but about improving lives, air quality, and reducing emissions by bridging the rural-urban divide.

The Minister reflected on India's energy journey, noting the challenging access to LPG cylinders before 2014 which has now shifted to comprehensive population coverage. On Navratri's first day, 25 lakh new LPG connections were announced under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, aimed at economically weaker sections, raising the scheme's total to approximately 10.60 crore connections. Puri also highlighted IGL's success since its 1998 incorporation, marking its pivotal role in city gas distribution. IGL operates 956 CNG stations, representing nearly 12% of India's total, and has connected over 30.7 lakh households with PNG, supplies clean energy to 5,300 industries and 7,100 commercial facilities, sells 9.3 MMSCMD of natural gas, and serves 22 lakh CNG vehicles daily.

(With inputs from agencies.)