3 weeks ago
House panel urges faster gas output as LNG imports double
India uses natural gas to cook food, run factories and make electricity.
India does not make enough gas by itself, so it buys a lot of it from other countries.
Getting gas from far away is called importing.
Over the last ten years, India has nearly doubled how much gas it buys from other countries.
A special group of members of India's parliament studied this problem.
They said buying so much gas from abroad is risky because prices can jump and money leaves the country.
They want India to find and produce more of its own natural gas.
They also want India to use other fuels, like gas made from farm waste.
If India produces more gas at home, it will be safer and cost less.
So the group has asked the government to work faster on making more gas inside India.
Parliament's Estimates Committee warned that India's nearly doubled LNG imports could threaten energy security, price stability and foreign exchange reserves.
India's LNG imports grew from 13.29 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 2014-15 to 26.96 MMT in 2024-25 (provisional), with around 50 percent of domestic requirements met through imports.
Domestic natural gas production rose only modestly, from 33.66 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2014-15 to about 36.11 BCM in 2024-25 (provisional).
The committee recommended boosting domestic production, expanding Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) and Coal Bed Methane (CBM), improving energy efficiency, and strengthening long-term LNG sourcing while retaining spot purchases.
India aims to raise natural gas' share in its primary energy basket from 6 percent to 15 percent by 2030, a key objective of its energy transition strategy.
- Who
- Parliament of India's Estimates Committee, which tabled its report in the Lok Sabha
- What
- Recommended faster domestic natural gas production and reduced LNG import dependence, warning of risks to energy security, price stability and foreign exchange reserves
- Where
- India (New Delhi; report tabled in the Lok Sabha)
- When
- Report tabled in Lok Sabha Friday; data covers 2014-15 to 2024-25 (provisional), with licence figures as of 31 March 2025
- Why
- Because LNG imports nearly doubled in a decade and demand is projected to exceed 40 MMT per annum by 2030
Key facts
- LNG imports 2014-15
- 13.29 million metric tonnes
- LNG imports 2024-25 (provisional)
- 26.96 million metric tonnes
- Import dependence
- About 50% of domestic natural gas requirement met through LNG imports
- Domestic production 2024-25 (provisional)
- About 36.11 BCM, up from 33.66 BCM in 2014-15
- Natural gas share target
- 15% of primary energy basket by 2030, up from current 6%
- Estimated gas reserves
- 1,094.19 billion cubic metres
- Operational LNG terminals
- 8 terminals with combined capacity of 52.7 MMTPA
Quotes
Estimates Committee
Parliamentary committee assessing energy imports
“The Committee is of the view that sustained growth in LNG imports may have implications for energy security, price stability and foreign exchange outgo”
theprint.in
Sources
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