Archive · 1 Oct 2026
National PNG Drive 3.0 Targets Millions of New Connections
The government has started a campaign to bring piped natural gas to more homes in India.
Piped natural gas, or PNG, is supplied directly through underground pipes.
The campaign will run from October 2026 to March 2027.
It wants to add 50 lakh new household connections.
It also wants 40 lakh inactive connections to start being used again.
Another goal is to register 50 lakh more households for PNG.
Officials say this could help India use more natural gas and depend less on traditional fuels.
The campaign will use existing pipelines and expand service to smaller towns and rural areas.
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched National PNG Drive 3.0 in New Delhi.
The campaign will run from October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.
It targets 50 lakh new domestic PNG connections, 40 lakh active-user conversions, and 50 lakh registrations.
The drive will focus on dormant connections, existing city gas networks, and semi-urban and rural expansion.
India has 6,87,966 inch-km of PNG pipeline infrastructure, with potential for another 1.30 crore connections.
- Who
- Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board, gas distributors, public-sector oil marketing companies, and other stakeholders.
- What
- The launch of National PNG Drive 3.0 to expand piped natural gas adoption and increase natural gas’s share of India’s energy mix.
- When
- The drive will run from October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027; it was launched on Thursday during the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board’s 20th Foundation Day event.
- Where
- New Delhi and locations across India served by city gas distribution networks.
- Why
- To promote cleaner, reliable, and affordable energy, make better use of existing infrastructure, and raise natural gas’s share of India’s primary energy mix from around 6 percent.
- Campaign period
- October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027
- New domestic connections target
- 50 lakh
- Active-user conversion target
- 40 lakh connections
- Additional registration target
- 50 lakh domestic PNG registrations
- Existing pipeline network
- 6,87,966 inch-km laid
- Potential additional connections
- 1.30 crore
- Authorized natural-gas pipeline network
- Around 34,233 km, including common-carrier, spur, tie-in, and dedicated pipelines
- Operational and construction status
- 25,429 km operational as of June 2025, with 10,459 km under construction