Roundtable on Expansion of Piped Natural Gas Services

31 Mar 2026 CW Team

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas presented the rollout status and outlined the advantages of PNG over liquefied petroleum gas in safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability. Officials identified impediments such as delays in municipal permissions, Right of Way (RoW) approvals and high restoration charges that hinder timely expansion. Deliberations considered institutional and regulatory adjustments, including single-window and time-bound clearance mechanisms to address these barriers.

Ministers emphasised the role of cities as engines of economic growth and urged mission-mode implementation with integration of PNG infrastructure into urban planning and facilitation of last-mile connectivity. The meeting highlighted an ambitious target of providing five mn new PNG connections and encouraged Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to promote adoption, prioritising public institutions such as schools and colleges for early transition. Consumer affairs officials advised strengthened monitoring and vigilance to curb misinformation and black marketing while safeguarding essential supplies.

Participants shared best practices including fast-tracking road-cutting permissions, adoption of deemed approvals and rationalisation or temporary waivers of RoW charges to expedite projects. State representatives and CGD entities agreed to streamline approval processes, designate nodal officers and form local task teams to resolve city-specific bottlenecks. A break-out session reviewed pending approvals and produced a structured action plan with defined timelines, regular monitoring and accountability measures to ensure timely PNG network expansion.

A Roundtable Review Meeting on expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) services and maintaining essential services in urban areas was held at Vigyan Bhavan, bringing together Union and state ministers, secretaries and senior officials. The meeting drew representatives of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAFPD), municipal commissioners, chairpersons of GAIL and Indian Oil and City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities. Delegations attended in person and others joined virtually to discuss accelerating network expansion and ensuring uninterrupted urban services. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas presented the rollout status and outlined the advantages of PNG over liquefied petroleum gas in safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability. Officials identified impediments such as delays in municipal permissions, Right of Way (RoW) approvals and high restoration charges that hinder timely expansion. Deliberations considered institutional and regulatory adjustments, including single-window and time-bound clearance mechanisms to address these barriers. Ministers emphasised the role of cities as engines of economic growth and urged mission-mode implementation with integration of PNG infrastructure into urban planning and facilitation of last-mile connectivity. The meeting highlighted an ambitious target of providing five mn new PNG connections and encouraged Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to promote adoption, prioritising public institutions such as schools and colleges for early transition. Consumer affairs officials advised strengthened monitoring and vigilance to curb misinformation and black marketing while safeguarding essential supplies. Participants shared best practices including fast-tracking road-cutting permissions, adoption of deemed approvals and rationalisation or temporary waivers of RoW charges to expedite projects. State representatives and CGD entities agreed to streamline approval processes, designate nodal officers and form local task teams to resolve city-specific bottlenecks. A break-out session reviewed pending approvals and produced a structured action plan with defined timelines, regular monitoring and accountability measures to ensure timely PNG network expansion.

Infrastructure Urban

31 Mar 2026

India and UK Review CETA Progress at WTO Ministerial

On the sidelines of the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal met the United Kingdom (UK) Secretary of State for Business and Trade Mr Peter J Kyle. The meeting saw both ministers exchange views on the MC-14 agenda and review progress on the implementation of the India-United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in July 2025. The discussion reviewed implementation milestones and procedural steps toward ratification and operationalisation. Goyal noted that India has c..

Infrastructure Urban

31 Mar 2026

Goyal Holds Bilateral Talks With EU Trade Commissioner

On the sidelines of the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal held a bilateral meeting with European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. The meeting examined the MC?14 agenda and assessed progress on work to finalise the recently concluded India?European Union free trade agreement (FTA). Both sides also considered avenues to further enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation. On WTO reforms, both leaders agreed on the necessity of substantive change and underlined that reform ef..

Infrastructure Urban

31 Mar 2026

L&T Secures Significant Orders For Buildings And Factories Business

The Buildings and Factories (B&F) business vertical of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured multiple orders across several states in India, including new contracts and add-on work in ongoing projects. In Gujarat the unit won an order for the construction of a float glass plant, with the scope covering design and construction of all civil, steel, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work and associated external development. In Andhra Pradesh the business secured an order from a leading two-wheeler manufacturer for the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, encompassing civil, st..