Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on 1 October 2026 formally launched National PNG Drive 3.0 in New Delhi, a six-month campaign aimed at accelerating the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) and raising the share of natural gas in India's primary energy mix from its current 6 per cent. The drive, which runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, was unveiled at an event marking the 20th Foundation Day of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).

What PNG Drive 3.0 Targets

The campaign sets three headline targets: 50 lakh new domestic PNG connections, 40 lakh conversions of dormant connections into active users, and a further 50 lakh domestic PNG registrations. Minister Puri outlined that the drive will prioritise activating dormant connections, maximising the utilisation of existing city gas distribution (CGD) networks, expanding PNG reach into semi-urban and rural areas, and onboarding new consumers. The campaign is being executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, CGD entities, public sector oil marketing companies, and other stakeholders.

Infrastructure Already in Place

With 6,87,966 inch-km of pipeline already laid across the country, officials say there is untapped potential for another 1.30 crore connections. The PNGRB has authorised approximately 34,233 km of natural gas pipeline (NGPL) network — covering common carrier, spur line, tie-in connectivity, and dedicated pipelines — of which 25,429 km had been made operational as of June 2025. A further 10,459 km of pipeline is currently at various stages of construction.

How PNG Drive 2.0 Compared

The preceding PNG Drive 2.0 delivered 12.10 lakh new connections, 13.37 lakh billed connections, and 15.31 lakh domestic PNG registrations. Daily domestic PNG additions rose 43 per cent during that phase, while billed consumer additions surged 166 per cent. Drive 3.0's targets are significantly more ambitious, reflecting the expanded network base and a policy push to accelerate the LPG-to-PNG transition at scale.

The 'One Nation, One Gas Grid' Push

PNG Drive 3.0 sits within the broader 'One Nation, One Gas Grid' framework, under which the Centre has approved key trunk pipelines, extended viability gap funding in low-demand areas, introduced a unified tariff structure, accelerated CGD network expansion, and facilitated the setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. Officials argue that assured gas supply at competitive prices not only improves household convenience but also strengthens manufacturing competitiveness in industrial clusters, reduces operational costs, and supports job creation.

Environment and Air Quality Angle

Within CGD networks, the wider availability of CNG and PNG is expected to promote cleaner mobility and domestic energy use, with downstream benefits for air quality and environmental sustainability. The drive's rural expansion component is also seen as reducing dependence on traditional fuels — firewood and coal — in areas where clean energy access has historically lagged. As India's energy transition discourse intensifies, the government is positioning natural gas as a pragmatic bridge fuel while renewable capacity scales up.