India is witnessing a major shift in household cooking fuel consumption, with piped natural gas (PNG) emerging as a rapidly expanding choice across the country. Energy sector officials say adoption has accelerated sharply in recent months, marking a clear transformation in consumer preference.Petroleum and natural gas regulatory board (PNGRB) chairperson Anil Kumar Jain and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) managing director Kamal Kishore Chatiwal both pointed to record growth in connections, rising convenience for consumers, and strong supply stability as key drivers of this expansion.Both executives highlighted that PNG connections have reached unprecedented daily levels, reflecting strong demand across urban and semi-urban households.“In March, we connected more than 10,000 households per day, adding over 300,000 new connections. This is a record achievement,” said PNGRB chairperson Anil Kumar Jain, adding that the surge continues even now.Chatiwal highlighted the speed of expansion compared to earlier years.“The connection that we used to have in the pre-war period has become three times faster in today’s date. Earlier, it used to be 3-4 thousand in the entire India, but now it has become 10-12 thousand,” he said.He further added that industry-wide coordination is expected to push numbers even higher.“And the target that has been given to us by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), we are seeing that it will reach 30,000 connections per day. When the entire CGD industry works together, there will be 30,000 connections per day,” he said.

Shift from LPG to piped natural gas

They pointed out that shifting consumer preferences are gradually going away from LPG as households recognise the convenience of piped supply systems.“People earlier believed LPG was better and reliably available, and it will continue to be so. But now people are realising that piped natural gas is even better than LPG,” Jain said.He added that the change reflects a broader behavioural shift in how consumers view essential utilities.“Just like water and electricity are supplied directly to homes, people are now seeing cooking fuel also being delivered similarly. Earlier, there was uncertainty, but now that is turning into confidence,” he said.Chatiwal also described PNG as a safe and reliable household fuel.“Household gas, the piped gas that is coming into the house, we can see it as the safest,” he said.

Government’s push and stable fuel supply

Officials confirmed that there is no shortage of LPG, PNG, CNG, petrol or diesel in the country, with supply systems remaining stable.“The government has developed a medium-term vision where, along with LPG, another gas option should also be promoted. LPG will remain the primary program, but we are moving towards promoting piped natural gas as well,” Jain said.He further noted that PNG expansion is part of a structured national strategy.A nationwide campaign was launched from January 1 to March 31, 2026, to increase PNG penetration, which initially progressed slowly but later gained momentum following geopolitical developments, including the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.“Following recent developments, the government directed state governments and companies to accelerate PNG expansion. Targets were made more ambitious, and the program has been extended for another three months,” he said.Chatiwal added that supply prioritisation ensures household security.“The government has kept it as a top priority, so because of this, we are not facing any problem,” he said.

Strong domestic production and safety assurance

Chatiwal said household PNG consumption is a very small portion of total gas production, ensuring long-term security.“The total household gas that we are using right now is approximately 3.8 million per day. Leave aside the imported gas, the household gas production itself is approximately 100 million standard cubic meters per day. So, we are using 3-4 per cent gas in the domestic PNG segment, so there is no problem in that, and it is 100 per cent safe,” he added.Officials also highlighted significant unused capacity in the existing network.“Today, if I tell you in terms of figures, there are around 60 lakh connections in the entire country which are already connected, but they are not taking gas for any reason,” Chatiwal said.He added that this inactive base offers immediate potential for expansion.“So we have an immediate ready-made number which we can immediately gasify,” he said.Chatiwal also expressed strong growth expectations.“I believe that within the next year, the 1 crore will double,” he said.

Consumer schemes to boost adoption

To encourage wider adoption, companies have introduced several affordability schemes and flexible payment options.“There are many schemes in it, like the scheme of one rupee per day,” he said.“Apart from this, those who are giving 6,000 rupees, we are giving 500 rupees of gas for free, which we have extended till June,” he added, noting that EMI options are also available for consumers.“So now the consumer who is not in a position to pay 6,000, there are many such schemes for him that he can switch immediately,” he said.Chatiwal also urged households that are using both LPG and PNG to fully switch to piped gas, citing adequate supply availability and system stability.“In fact, we have many LPG connections where we are using LPG as well as gas connections. So we are requesting people to surrender their LPG connection. There is gas, and there is no problem in that,” he said.