Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that India’s petroleum and gas sector has undergone a transformation over the last 11 years, with LPG connections rising from 140 million before 2014 to over 330 million today, the gas pipeline network expanding from 14,000 km to more than 22,500 km, and India emerging as one of the fastest-growing refining hubs in the world. He was speaking at the inauguration of Indraprastha Gas Limited’s (IGL) new office at the World Trade Centre, Nauroji Nagar, New Delhi.

The Minister also inaugurated IGL’s Smart Gas Meter Manufacturing facility, developed in partnership with Genesis Gas Solutions. With production set to begin in October 2025, the plant will produce one million gas meters annually, including smart and prepaid meters, boosting India’s self-reliance in gas meter manufacturing and strengthening consumer services.

Highlighting IGL’s achievements, Puri noted that PNG connections have reached 250 villages in Delhi, bringing clean cooking fuel to more than 100,000 rural households. IGL also operates 956 CNG stations—nearly 12 per cent of India’s total—supplies PNG to 3.07 million homes, and provides gas to 5,300 industries and 7,100 commercial establishments. It sells 9.3 MMSCMD of natural gas and refuels 2.2 million CNG vehicles daily.

The Minister said that India’s refining sector is expanding rapidly. Already the fourth-largest refining hub globally, India is set to become the third-largest as it strengthens energy security, generates jobs, supports MSMEs, and fuels regional growth. He added that promising exploration results, including recent Andaman discoveries, underline India’s geological potential.

Puri also praised IGL’s adoption of technologies such as SAP-ERP, GIS, advanced analytics, automated billing, and EV charging. He said India’s green energy shift will involve biogas, LNG, hydrogen-CNG, EV charging and swapping, with IGL already operating EV charging at 40 stations.