New Delhi

The number of petrol pumps and gas stations in India has almost doubled over the last decade, rising from 51,870 retail outlets in 2014 to more than one lakh by 2025, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.

The minister shared the information on social media platform X after a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which discussed diversification and energy transition.

Highlighting the transformation of India’s energy sector over the past ten years, Puri said the country has witnessed significant improvements in infrastructure, diversification of energy sources, and a steady shift towards cleaner energy. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, the sector has become more resilient and future-ready.

Puri also noted that the number of LPG distributors has increased by 127 per cent, while city gas distribution networks have expanded to cover the entire mainland of the country, bringing piped natural gas to households across regions.

“India today stands proud as the fourth-largest refiner globally, with natural gas pipeline length increasing to 25,429 kilometres and LNG capacity more than doubling to 52.7 million metric tonnes per annum,” the minister said, adding that these measures are crucial to ensuring energy security for the nation.

According to him, India has also strengthened its energy security by diversifying sources of crude oil imports. The country now procures crude oil from around 40 nations and has long-term gas supply agreements with 15 countries. In the upstream sector, the government has opened more than one million square kilometres for oil and gas exploration.

The consultative committee appreciated progress made in the country’s energy transition initiatives, including achieving 19.24 per cent ethanol blending, commissioning 170 compressed biogas plants, setting up green hydrogen projects by public sector undertakings, and the production of India’s first ISCC CORSIA-certified sustainable aviation fuel by Indian Oil Corporation.

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“These steps reflect India’s commitment to building an energy sector that is affordable, sustainable and self-reliant,” Puri said.