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Picture Courtesy:  PIB

 Context

In 2025, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) focused on affordable energy, increasing domestic output, improving infrastructure, promoting cleaner fuels, and enhancing national energy security, guided by Access, Efficiency, Sustainability, and Security.

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) Achievements/ initiatives in 2025

Updates of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)

• Beneficiary Expansion: The number of PMUY beneficiaries has crossed 10.35 crore households, improving women's health and reducing indoor air pollution (Source: PIB).
• Targeted Subsidy: To ensure affordability, the government provides a targeted subsidy of ₹300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills annually to PMUY beneficiaries. (Source: PIB)).
• Simplified Enrolment: The process to get a new connection has been simplified. Applicants now only need to submit a single 'Deprivation Declaration', making the scheme more inclusive and accessible.
• Consumer Safety First: A nationwide Basic Safety Check campaign was conducted, with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) conducting free safety inspections at customer homes to promote safe LPG handling.

Modernizing Retail Outlets

• Digital Payments: Over 98% of retail outlets are now equipped with digital payment facilities, promoting a cashless economy. (Source: PIB)
• Door-to-Door Delivery: Fuel accessibility has been improved in remote areas through the deployment of mobile fuel dispensers (bowsers).
• Wayside Amenities: Under the APNA GHAR initiative, amenities for truckers are being developed along highways to improve road safety and driver welfare.

Developing a Gas-Based Economy: One Nation, One Grid

The government is expanding natural gas infrastructure to increase its share in the primary energy mix from the current 6% to 15% by 2030 (Source: MoPNG).

• National Gas Grid: The operational natural gas pipeline network has expanded from about 15,340 km in 2014 to over 25,429 km.  (Source: ANI).
• Unified Pipeline Tariff: This "One Nation, One Tariff" model standardizes gas transportation charges across the country, making the fuel more affordable and promoting balanced regional development.
• City Gas Distribution (CGD): The CGD network provides Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for homes and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles.

Promoting Biofuels and Sustainable Energy

Biofuels are a key pillar of India's strategy to reduce import dependency and decarbonize the transport sector.

Key Biofuel Initiatives

• Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP):

• India has achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol five years ahead of target, marking a major step in clean energy transition.

• Compressed Bio Gas (CBG):

• The SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative promotes the production of CBG from waste and biomass.
• A mandatory Compressed Biogas (CBG) Blending Obligation (CBO) for the City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector (CNG/PNG) from FY 2025-26.

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

• India has set indicative blending targets for SAF in international flights: 1% by 2027 and rising to 5% by 2030 (Source: MoPNG).
• This move aims to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector.

Reforms in the Upstream Sector (Exploration & Production)

To boost domestic oil and gas production and attract investment, the government has implemented significant policy reforms.

• Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP): This policy replaced the earlier NELP. Its key features include:
• A single license for exploring and producing all forms of hydrocarbons.
• A simple revenue-sharing model instead of the complex profit-sharing model.
• Marketing and pricing freedom for produced crude oil and natural gas.
• Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR): India is moving toward a target of approximately 22 to 25 days of emergency oil coverage, up from the current 9.5 days provided by its three existing facilities. 
• Current Infrastructure (Phase I): Managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), these facilities have a total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) located at Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MMT), Mangaluru (1.5 MMT), and Padur (2.5 MMT).
• Expansion Plans (Phase II): The government has approved two additional "commercial-cum-strategic" facilities totaling 6.5 MMT.
• Chandikhol, Odisha: Planned 4 MMT capacity.
• Padur, Karnataka: Planned 2.5 MMT expansion.
• Future Roadmap: ISPRL plans to triple reserves to 15 MMT over the next decade, with additional proposed sites at Bikaner (Rajasthan), Mangalore (Karnataka), and Bina (Madhya Pradesh). 

Source: PIB