Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday chaired a key meeting with senior officials from the Ministry and Chief Managing Directors (CMDs) of India’s Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in the energy sector. The discussion focused on implementing a consumer-friendly policy enabling portability between Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
Taking to social media platform X, the Minister highlighted the significant growth in LPG coverage across the country. He noted that LPG connections have surged from 14 crore in 2014 to over 33 crore today, raising national coverage from 62% in 2016 to more than 100% currently.
“As the number of LPG dealerships has expanded to over 25,570 to meet growing demand, we discussed the policy of allowing consumers to switch between OMCs for greater convenience,” Puri shared in his post.
A key driver behind this transformation has been the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), under which more than 10.33 crore free LPG connections have been distributed to beneficiaries in both rural and urban areas, further boosting access to clean cooking fuel.
To strengthen last-mile delivery, the Minister noted that OMCs have partnered with 22,443 Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs). These local networks successfully delivered 58 lakh LPG cylinders during FY 2024–25 to remote and underserved areas.
Puri also reviewed the progress of India’s energy transition during the meeting. He revealed that solar power systems have been installed at nearly 79,000 of the country’s 88,000+ fuel retail outlets, with capacities ranging from under 1KW to over 3KW. This move aims to lower the carbon footprint of India’s fuel distribution network.
“Even as India forges ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji toward achieving its energy security goals, we remain equally committed to promoting green, sustainable, and innovative energy solutions,” the Minister stated.
He further noted that the review included the ongoing efforts to scale up solar infrastructure across the extensive retail network of OMCs.
Separately, in an interaction with ANI on Monday, Puri spoke about India’s commitment to enhancing domestic fossil fuel production. He shared that new exploration initiatives in the Andaman region are showing encouraging signs and could mark a significant development in India’s energy landscape.
“Exploration activities in the Andamans are pointing toward positive outcomes,” he said, suggesting the region might represent India’s ‘Guyana moment’, in reference to the South American country’s recent energy boom.
Puri also outlined the broader efforts being undertaken by the government to boost exploration and production capabilities across the country, signaling a dual focus on both conventional and renewable energy sources to ensure long-term energy security.
