The government has made biometric Aadhaar authentication mandatory for subsidised domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refills from 1 October 2026. Consumers will need to complete the authentication process to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with the applicable subsidy.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said the measure is intended to ensure that subsidised LPG reaches genuine and eligible households. Linking each domestic LPG connection to an Aadhaar-authenticated consumer is expected to help prevent subsidised cylinders from being diverted for commercial and industrial use.

The authentication process will also help identify duplicate and ineligible connections, while making subsidy delivery more transparent and targeted. The ministry clarified that the requirement is not intended to deny LPG supplies to genuine households and said eligible consumers have several options to complete the process.

Consumers can complete biometric Aadhaar authentication during delivery, at their LPG distributor’s showroom or through the mobile applications of oil marketing companies (OMCs). Those who have already completed the process will not need to take any further action.

The ministry said 274,300,000 consumers have completed biometric authentication so far. Consumers who have not yet completed the process have been urged to do so before 1 October 2026 to avoid complications while booking subsidised refills.

The new requirement applies to subsidised domestic LPG refills and links access to the regulated retail selling price and subsidy with verified consumer identity. The government’s stated objective is to reduce misuse of the domestic LPG distribution system while ensuring that eligible households continue to receive their entitlements through the existing delivery network.