New Delhi, Sep 30 (NationPress) India has embarked on a remarkable evolution in its petroleum and natural gas landscape over the past 11 years, with the number of LPG connections soaring from 14 crore in 2014 to over 33 crore today. The nation's natural gas pipeline infrastructure has also seen significant growth, expanding from 14,000 km to more than 22,500 km. This progress has positioned India as one of the rapidly advancing refining hubs on a global scale, as noted by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri during a recent event.

The Minister made these comments while inaugurating the new office of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) at the World Trade Centre in Nauroji Nagar.

Additionally, Puri inaugurated a new Smart Gas Meter Manufacturing facility developed by IGL in collaboration with Genesis Gas Solutions. This facility is set to produce approximately one million gas meters annually, including smart and prepaid versions. With production anticipated to commence in October, this initiative aims to bolster India's self-sufficiency in gas meter manufacturing and enhance IGL's ability to deliver modern, efficient, and cost-effective services to its customers.

The Minister highlighted IGL’s achievements, mentioning that the company has successfully extended PNG connections to 250 villages in Delhi, providing urban amenities such as clean cooking fuel to over 1 lakh rural households. He emphasized that this expansion is not solely about infrastructure but is fundamentally about transforming lives, enhancing air quality, and mitigating emissions while narrowing the rural-urban divide.

Reflecting on India’s energy evolution, he pointed out that prior to 2014, many households faced challenges in accessing LPG cylinders, whereas now, LPG connections reach nearly the entire populace. He also revealed that on the first day of Navratri, 25 lakh new LPG connections were announced under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, aimed at providing clean cooking fuel to economically disadvantaged sections of society. This initiative will increase the total number of connections under the scheme to approximately 10.60 crore.

Puri also underscored the success of IGL, established in 1998, which has emerged as a vital player in the city gas distribution sector, supplying CNG to the transportation sector and PNG to households, industries, and commercial entities. Currently, IGL operates 956 CNG stations—accounting for nearly 12 percent of India’s total—and has connected over 30.7 lakh households with PNG. The company supplies clean energy to 5,300 industries, 7,100 commercial establishments, and refuels 22 lakh CNG vehicles daily.

Puri noted the substantial growth of India’s natural gas pipeline network and expressed optimism about the country's exploration and production endeavors, citing promising discoveries in the Andaman region.

He further remarked on India's rapid expansion of refining capacity, positioning it as the fourth-largest refining hub globally. With further growth, India is on track to become the third-largest refining center and a significant player in global refining activities, especially as smaller standalone refineries elsewhere may struggle to maintain viability.

Looking forward, he stated that India's green energy transformation will involve a diverse mix, including biogas, LNG, hydrogen-enriched CNG, EV charging, and swapping infrastructure. IGL has already installed EV charging facilities at 40 stations and has a structured plan for further expansion.

The Minister added that while CNG and electric vehicles will see increased adoption, traditional fuels like petrol will continue to play a role, particularly in rapidly developing economic hubs such as the National Capital Region.