National PNG Drive 3.0
National PNG Drive 3.0 and India’s Piped Gas Expansion: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) launched National PNG Drive 3.0 on 1 October 2026 to accelerate the adoption of Domestic Piped Natural Gas (D-PNG) across India.
The six-month campaign will continue until 31 March 2027. Its focus extends beyond creating new connections to activating dormant connections and improving utilisation of existing City Gas Distribution (CGD) infrastructure.
Three Major Targets
PNG Drive 3.0 has set three key targets for the campaign period:
- 50 lakh new D-PNG connections
- Conversion of 40 lakh unbilled connections into active billed consumers
- 50 lakh additional D-PNG registrations
As of 30 June 2026, India had approximately 1.74 crore PNG consumers, including around 1.15 crore billed consumers. The difference highlights the challenge of converting network access into actual consumption.
Static GK fact: PNG is supplied through underground pipelines, while LPG is generally stored and transported in cylinders. PNG is primarily composed of methane.
Why Is India Promoting PNG?
The government considers natural gas an important component of India’s transition towards a cleaner and more diversified energy system.
Greater PNG adoption can support the shift from LPG and other more carbon-intensive fuels, improve the utilisation of existing gas infrastructure and contribute to India’s broader energy-transition and Net Zero objectives.
Natural gas currently accounts for roughly 6% of India’s primary energy mix, while the government has set a long-term objective of increasing its share to 15% by 2030.
Energy Security Dimension
The campaign has gained importance amid disruptions in international energy markets, including the West Asia crisis, which highlighted India’s exposure to global energy-supply risks.
Expanding domestic gas-distribution networks can diversify household energy options while improving the utilisation of infrastructure already created under the CGD system.
From PNG Drive 2.0 to Drive 3.0
The latest campaign builds upon PNG Drive 2.0, which increased the pace of new domestic PNG connections and billed consumers.
However, its experience also highlighted a crucial challenge: registering households does not necessarily mean that they become regular consumers. PNG Drive 3.0 therefore places greater emphasis on consumer conversion and actual utilisation.
Existing Infrastructure Offers Expansion Potential
India has already developed a substantial CGD network, with approximately 6.88 lakh inch-km of pipeline laid.
According to the government, this infrastructure has the potential to support approximately 1.3 crore additional connections. However, infrastructure availability alone cannot guarantee adoption.
The campaign therefore emphasises adequate supplies of gas meters, valves, GI pipes and MDPE pipes, along with pipeline expansion into residential complexes and government colonies.
Key Challenges
PNG expansion faces several practical barriers. Uneven consumer awareness, particularly in emerging markets, can limit adoption.
High upfront connection costs can discourage households, while extending pipelines to sparsely populated rural and semi-urban areas may involve significant investment and uncertain demand.
Another major challenge is dormant connections. CGD companies need sufficient consumer density and sustained demand to recover the cost of network development.
Static GK Tip: CGD refers to the network through which natural gas is distributed to domestic, commercial, industrial and other consumers within authorised geographical areas.
Policy Support for D-PNG
From 1 September 2026, eligible CGD entities can receive an additional allocation of 200 Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of lower-priced APM gas for each incremental billed domestic-PNG connection beyond the prescribed threshold.
The measure is intended to improve the commercial viability of expanding household PNG connections.
The MyPNG Portal can further support consumer-oriented service delivery by providing a unified digital interface for PNG-related services.
PNG and India’s Energy Transition
National PNG Drive 3.0 represents a shift from simply expanding energy infrastructure towards ensuring effective utilisation and consumer adoption.
Its success will depend on affordable connections, reliable gas supply, consumer awareness, last-mile infrastructure and efficient service delivery. At the same time, methane leakage, infrastructure costs and regional disparities must be addressed to ensure that natural gas contributes effectively to India’s longer-term energy-transition objectives.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
National PNG Drive 3.0 and India’s Piped Gas Expansion:
| Fact | Detail |
| Campaign | National PNG Drive 3.0 |
| Launch | 1 October 2026 |
| Implementing regulator | PNGRB |
| Campaign period | 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 |
| New D-PNG target | 50 lakh connections |
| Unbilled connection target | 40 lakh to become active billed consumers |
| Additional registration target | 50 lakh |
| PNG consumers as of June 2026 | About 1.74 crore |
| Billed consumers | About 1.15 crore |
| CGD pipeline network | About 6.88 lakh inch-km |
| Additional potential | Around 1.3 crore connections |
| Natural gas share | Roughly 6% of India’s primary energy mix |
| Long-term target | 15% by 2030 |
| APM gas incentive | Additional 200 SCM for eligible incremental billed D-PNG connections |
| Digital initiative | MyPNG Portal |
