The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has launched two major initiatives to expand piped natural gas (PNG) access across India. The moves were announced on the occasion of PNGRB’s 20th foundation day celebration on 1 October 2026. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri commended the regulatory board’s role in managing energy security while shielding domestic consumers from global price volatility.
Key facts
- PNGRB marked its 20th foundation day on 1 October 2026
- National PNG Drive 3.0 launched to accelerate piped natural gas connections across domestic and commercial sectors
- MyPNG Portal launched as a unified digital consumer service platform
- Samudra Manthan scheme allocated Rs 84,084 crore for upstream hydrocarbon exploration
- GOBARdhan scheme allocated Rs 23,731 crore
- 1 million square kilometers of previously restricted sedimentary basins opened for exploration
- Approximately 35,000 km of natural gas pipelines have been authorized
- LPG connections expanded from 14.5 crore (2014) to over 33 crore
- During January to June 2026, National PNG Drive 2.0 added 12.10 lakh new PNG connections and 15.31 lakh DPNG registrations
- Daily DPNG additions increased from 4,702 to around 7,000
- Daily additions of billed consumers rose from 2,781 to around 7,500
National PNG Drive 3.0: What it means
The third phase of the National PNG Drive builds on earlier programmes to connect more households and businesses to piped natural gas. While the first two drives achieved measurable progress in connection growth, this new phase aims to accelerate the pace further. The initiative targets both residential consumers seeking domestic PNG (DPNG) for cooking and heating, and commercial establishments requiring industrial gas supply.
The previous six-month drive from January to June 2026 demonstrated significant momentum. The data shows daily registrations for DPNG jumped from around 4,700 to 7,000, while daily additions of customers who were already billed for consumption increased from about 2,780 to 7,500. This acceleration suggests growing demand and faster network activation across regions.
MyPNG Portal: Digital access to gas services
The newly launched MyPNG Portal serves as a single digital platform where consumers can access information about PNG services and interact with City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies. The portal is designed to simplify the consumer experience by centralizing information and service interactions that were previously scattered across multiple providers and websites.
This digital tool supports the government’s broader push toward a cleaner, gas-based energy economy. By making information and services more accessible online, the portal reduces barriers to adoption and helps consumers track applications, complaints and service status more easily.
Protecting consumers from global price shocks
The Union Minister highlighted that despite international crude oil prices spiking 70 to 80 percent in global markets, India insulated domestic consumers through strategic excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel. This policy decision prevented international price volatility from directly raising fuel costs for ordinary Indians. The minister also pointed to investments in domestic upstream exploration and production to reduce long-term energy import dependence.
Infrastructure expansion and cost reduction
Nearly all of India has now been authorized for City Gas Distribution operations. The regulatory board has approved around 35,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines to expand the distribution network into currently unserved regions.
The Ministry Secretary emphasized that expanding pipeline networks alone is insufficient. The real measure of success is actual gas consumption and the speed at which household connections multiply. He urged CGD companies to adopt special schemes that could reduce the typical 10 to 15-year cost recovery timeline to just 2 to 3 years, removing a major financial barrier to network expansion into new areas.
What this means for you
If you are a household in an area covered by City Gas Distribution, you may soon find it easier to apply for a PNG connection through the new MyPNG Portal. Commercial establishments can also benefit from streamlined access to gas supply information and services.
The acceleration of connections suggests that gas-based cooking and heating is becoming available in more regions faster than before. LPG cylinder users may have the option to switch to piped gas, which offers convenience, safety and cost benefits.
For businesses relying on gas supply, faster network expansion and improved regulatory coordination between upstream suppliers, pipeline operators and distributors should mean more reliable and competitive pricing over time.