India has managed to stay insulated from the global energy crisis triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, highlighting that fuel supply and prices in the country remain stable even as several nations face shortages and disruptions.
“When rest of the world has been taking drastic fuel conservation measures such as odd-even, 4 day work weeks, school and office closures and increasing fuel prices by 20-30%, availability and affordability,” Puri said in a post on social media.
His remarks come at a time when rising geopolitical tensions have disrupted global energy markets, forcing many countries to take emergency steps to manage fuel demand and supply.
While several countries are facing fuel shortages and have introduced measures to cut consumption, India has continued to ensure steady availability of fuel across sectors.
on maintaining supply lines and avoiding sharp price shocks for consumers.
Puri’s statement positions India as relatively stable compared to global markets, where the impact of the West Asia conflict has led to volatility in oil and gas supplies.
Alongside this, the government has taken steps to further ease supply for industries. Puri said the commercial LPG allocation for states has now been increased to 70% of pre-crisis levels.
“Taking a further step to ease supply of commercial LPG, Government of India has decided to increase the commercial LPG allocation of states to 70%, with 20% allocation given to industries such as steel, automobile, textile and other labour intensive industries,” he said.
He added that priority will be given to industries where piped natural gas cannot be used as a substitute.
An official communication from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas shows that the increase includes an additional 20% allocation over the existing supply. Earlier, states had already been given 40% of pre-crisis allocation along with another 10% linked to reforms such as promoting piped natural gas.
With this latest increase, total allocation now reaches 70%, aimed at supporting industrial demand and ensuring smooth operations.
The additional supply will be directed towards key sectors such as steel, automobile, textile, dye, chemicals and plastics. These industries are labour-intensive and play an important role in economic activity.
Priority will also be given to sectors that require LPG for specialised heating processes where natural gas cannot replace it.
To receive the additional allocation, entities will need to follow earlier conditions related to registration with oil marketing companies and application for piped natural gas connections under city gas networks.
However, for industries where LPG is essential and cannot be replaced by natural gas, certain requirements may be relaxed.
States have also been asked to make use of the 10% reform-based allocation if they have not already done so.
The move comes as the government looks to ensure that industrial activity is not disrupted due to global energy supply issues. By increasing LPG allocation and prioritising key sectors, the aim is to reduce pressure on businesses and maintain continuity in production.
As the global energy situation remains uncertain, India’s focus continues to be on ensuring supply stability, managing demand, and protecting both consumers and industries from external shocks.