The Oil Ministry is pushing for converting as many domestic LPG consumers to piped natural gas (PNG) as the West Asia conflict continues to simmer, choking as much as half of India’s LPG consumption.
The Ministry held a review meeting with all the stakeholders including the PSU oil marketing companies (OMCs) and city gas distribution (CGD) entities deliberating on fast tracking conversion of LPG consumers to PNG, laying of CGD infrastructure, etc.
Senior Oil Ministry officials impressed on the OMCs and CGDs to fast track move to PNG on war footing considering LPG will remain a “pain point” for India with its dependence on the Middle East Gulf (MEG) region for a majority of its concentric consumption.
During the meeting, it was discussed that roughly 21 lakh households — where PNG infrastructure is ready — can immediately shift to piped gas supply. The Ministry directed CGD entities to bring these households immediately under the D-PNG (Domestic PNG) network.
The year 2026 marks a significant turning point for the CGD sector, which began with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board’s (PNGRB) PNG National Drive 2.0 to add more consumers to D-PNG.
