National PNG Drive 3.0

Why in News?

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) launched National PNG Drive 3.0 on 1 October 2026.

• Objectives –
  • To expand the use of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in households
  • To improve utilisation of existing City Gas Distribution (CGD) infrastructure.

Key Targets of Drive 3.0

• Add 50 lakh new domestic PNG connections by FY 2026–27.
• Convert 40 lakh connected-but-unbilled connections into active users.
• Register 50 lakh additional users.
• Focus on semi-urban and rural areas, residential complexes and government colonies.
• Improve utilisation of existing CGD infrastructure.

Current PNG Status

• As of June 30, 2026, India had around 1.74 crore PNG consumers.
• Of these, about 1.15 crore were billed consumers, showing a significant gap between connections and actual usage.
• India has around 6.9 lakh inch-km of laid PNG pipeline, capable of supporting about 1.3 crore additional connections.

Importance of PNG

• PNG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared with several conventional fuels.
• Promotes cleaner and reliable energy access.
• Supports India’s energy-transition and net-zero objectives.
• Can reduce dependence on LPG for suitable household applications.
• Key Challenges
  • Low consumer awareness in emerging CGD areas.
  • High upfront installation costs.
  • Slow installation processes.
  • Gap between connected consumers and active/billed consumers.
  • Need for adequate gas supply and installation materials.
• Government Support
  • CGD companies will get 200 SCM of lower-priced APM natural gas for every additional billed domestic-PNG connection beyond the area-specific target.
  • The incentive aims to encourage faster expansion and adoption of domestic PNG (D-PNG) connections.

Reference

The Hindu| National PNG Drive 3.0