Updates on Key Sectors in View of Developments in West Asia

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Updates on Key Sectors in View of Developments in West Asia States/UTs urged to disseminate correct information through press briefings to curb rumours CGD entities asked to speed up D-PNG connections; National PNG Drive 2.0 extended till 30.06.2026 More than 3.1 lakh connections gasified in March; Over 2.7 lakh new connections being added and gasified More than 50 lakh domestic LPG cylinders delivered daily on average since 1st March 2026 Over 3.2 lakh 5 Kg FTL cylinders sold to migrant labourers since 23rd March; more than 63,000 sold yesterday Safe repatriation of over 959 Indian seafarers facilitated so far; 9 in last 24 hours Port operations across India normal; no congestion reported Over 5.72 lakh passengers have returned to India since February 28; facilitation efforts continue Missions and Posts operating round-the-clock with 24x7 helplines across the region Posted On: 31 MAR 2026 2:55PM by PIB Delhi As developments in West Asia continue to unfold, the Government of India has been proactively undertaking coordinated measures to maintain stability across critical sectors. Efforts remain focused on ensuring uninterrupted energy supplies, safeguarding maritime operations, and extending necessary support to Indian nationals in the region. The current status of these efforts is outlined below. Energy Supply and Fuel AvailabilityMeasures have been put in place to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country, in view of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The current position is as follows: Crude/Refineries · All refineries are operating at high capacity, with adequate crude inventories in place. The country is also maintaining sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel. · Domestic LPG Production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption. Retail Outlets · All Retail outlets are operating normally across the country. · Middle East crisis has resulted into abnormal increase in the crude prices. In order to protect consumers from this impact, the Government of India has decided to absorb a part of this burden through a reduction in excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs. 10/litre. · Further, Govt. of India has imposed export levy of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ensure availability of these products in the domestic market. · Instances of Panic Buying due to rumours have been noticed in certain areas, resulting in unusually high sales and heavy crowding at Retail outlets. However, it is informed that there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all Petrol Pumps in the country. · The Government reiterates its advice not to believe rumours. In order to curb rumours, the State Governments have also been requested to disseminate correct information through press briefings. Natural Gas · Consumers have been prioritised with 100% supplies to D-PNG and CNG-Transport. · Supplies to industrial & commercial consumers connected on grid is at 80% of their average consumption. · City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities have also been advised by Govt. of India to prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments such as restaurants, hotels and canteens across all their Geographical Areas, to address concerns regarding the availability of commercial LPG. · Supply to operating Urea plants is now steady at around 70-75% of their last 06-month average consumption. Additional LNG cargoes and Regasified LNG (RLNG) are also being sourced to maintain the supplies and pipeline hydraulics. · All industrial consumers including fertilizer plants have been advised to provide their additional requirement on spot basis so that the same may be arranged by the Gas marketing companies. · CGD Companies like IGL, MGL, GAIL Gas and BPCL have offered incentives for taking domestic and Commercial PNG connections. · Govt. of India has requested Govt. of States/UTs and Central Ministries to expedite approval of applications required for expansion of CGD network. · Govt. of India vide letter dated 18.03.2026 has offered all States/UTs additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to States provided they can help in long term transition from LPG to PNG. Subsequently, MoPNG has received applications from multiple States who have taken steps towards reforms for promoting CGD network. Accordingly, additional allocation for some of the States has been recommended.· PNGRB vide its order dated 23.03.2026 has directed all CGD entities to make all out efforts to connect residential schools & colleges, hostels, community kitchens, anganwadi kitchens etc. through PNG within 5 days, wherever pipeline infrastructure is available in near vicinity. · Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways vide letter dated 24.03.2026 has stated that they have adopted “Accelerated Approval Framework for CGD Infrastructure with reduced timelines” as a special measure for 3 months wherein applications pertaining to CGD infrastructure shall be processed on priority. · Govt. of India vide Gazette dated 24.03.2026 has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Order provides a streamlined and time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country, addressing delays in approvals and access to land, and enabling faster development of natural gas infrastructure, including in residential areas. It is expected to accelerate PNG network growth, enhance last-mile connectivity, and support the transition to cleaner fuels, thereby strengthening energy security and advancing India’s gas-based economy. · Ministry of Defence vide letter 27.03.2026 has issued a short-term policy modification, effective until June 30, 2026, to expedite the installation of PNG infrastructure in all residential areas/unit lines of defence. · Chairperson (PNGRB) held a VC on 30.03.2026 and directed CGD entities to expedite D-PNG connections. Also, the National PNG Drive 2.0 (01.01.2026-31.03.2026) has now been extended till 30.06.2026 to sustain momentum in PNG expansion. · During the month of March, more than 3.1 Lakh connections incl. domestic, commercial, hostel, mess, canteen etc. have been gasified. In addition to above, more than 2.7 Lakh new connections have been given and are being gasified. LPG • Supply of LPG is affected due to prevailing geopolitical situation. Domestic LPG Supply: • No reported dry-out at LPG distributorships. • Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased to 92% on industry basis yesterday. • To prevent diversion at the distributor level, Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have been increased from 53% (Feb-2026) to 83% yesterday. • Since 1st March 2026, on an average more than 50 Lakh domestic LPG cylinders per day have been delivered by PSU Oil Marketing Companies. Commercial LPG supply: • Govt. had already restored Partial Commercial LPG supply (20%) to consumers. Further, Govt. of India vide letter dated 18.03.2026 had proposed to allocate additional 10% of Commercial LPG to States/UTs based on ease of doing business reforms for PNG expansion. • Govt. of India vide letter dated 21.03.2026 has allowed another 20% allocation of commercial LPG to States, which would take overall allocation to 50% (incl. 10% allocation based on ease of doing reforms for PNG expansion). This additional 20% allocation shall be given on priority tosectors like restaurants, dhabas, hotels, industrial canteens, food processing/dairy, subsidised canteens/outlets run by State Govt. or local bodies for food, community kitchens, 5 Kg FTL for migrant labourers. • Govt. of India vide letter dated 27.03.2026 has decided to allocate an additional 20% for commercial LPG (this would bring the total commercial allocation to 70% of the pre-crises level incl. 10% reform based). This additional 20% allocation would be given to industries with priority to steel, automobile, textile, dye, chemicals and plastics. Among this, priority shall be given to process industries or those requiring LPG for specialised heating purposes that cannot be substituted by natural gas. • Since 23rd March 2026, more than 3.2 Lakh 5 Kg FTL cylinders have been sold to migrant labours across the country. • More than 63,000 – 5 Kg FTL Cylinders have been sold yesterday to migrant labours. • Most of the States/UTs have issued orders to allocate the Non-domestic LPG in line with the guidelines issued by the Govt. of India. A total of 47928 MT has been uplifted since 14th March 2026 by commercial entities in the States/UTs. Kerosene · Additional allocation of 48000 KL of Kerosene over and above the regular allocation has been made to all the States/UTs. · Govt. of India vide Gazette notification dated 29.03.2026 has facilitated distribution of PDS SKO in PDS SKO Free States/UTs for cooking and lighting purpose only – · A maximum of two PSU OMC service stations per district (preferably Company Owned Company Operated) are permitted to store up to 5,000 litres of PDS SKO. · These PSU OMC service stations shall be designated by the State Government or UT administration in each district. · 17 States/UTs have issued SKO allocation orders. Further, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh has communicated that there is no SKO requirement in the State/UT. Role of State/UTs · Under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and LPG Control Order, 2000, State Govt. are empowered to act against any hoarding and black marketing. Govt. of States/UTs have to play a primary role in monitoring and regulating supply situation of essential commodities including Petrol, Diesel and LPG. Govt. of India has reiterated the same via multiple letters and VCs to all States/UTs. · All Chief Secretaries, ACS/Principal Secretary/Secretary Food & Civil supply of all the States/UTs are requested – Ø To institutionalize daily press briefings at State/District level and issue regular public advisories. Ø To setup dedicated control rooms/helplines Ø To actively monitor and counter fake news / misinformation on social media. Ø To intensify daily enforcement drives by District admin and to continue raids and inspections in coordination with OMCs Ø To issue Commercial LPG allocation orders within their States/UTsØ To issue SKO allocation orders for additional SKO allotted to the States/UTs. Ø To fast track CGD expansion incl. expediting RoW/RoU permissions, 24x7 work permissions etc. Ø To promote PNG adoptions and alternate fuels. Ø To nominate senior nodal officers for coordination with MoPNG · Govt. of India vide letter dated 27.03.2026 has again requested Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to conduct daily press briefs and active social media/electronics media updates to disseminate correct information and eliminate rumour mongering. · Currently, 16 States/UTs namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh are carrying out press briefs. Enforcement action · Raids continue to be carried out in many of the States/UTs to check the hoardings and black marketing of LPG. More than 3000 raids have been conducted, and more than 500 cylinders have been seized yesterday. · PSU OMCs officials have also conducted surprise inspections at more than 1200 RO and LPG distributorships yesterday across the country to ensure smooth supplies and to check any hoardings/black marketing cases. · PSU OMCs have issued more than 540 show cause notices to LPG distributorships till date. Other Government Measures · Despite this war situation, Government’s has given highest priority to Domestic LPG and PNG, along with high priority to hospitals and educational institutions. · The Government has already implemented several rationalisation measures on both the supply and demand side, including enhancing refinery production, increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas and prioritising sectors for supply. · Alternate fuel options like Kerosene and coal have been offered to ease pressure on LPG demand. · Ministry of Coal has already issued order to Coal India and Singareni Coallieries to allot higher quantities to States for distributing coal to small, medium and other consumers. · States have been advised to facilitate the new PNG connections for both domestic and commercial consumers. Public Advisory · Govt. is making all efforts to ensure availability of Petrol, Diesel and LPG. Avoid Panic purchase of Petrol, diesel and booking of LPG. · Beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information. · For LPG, citizens are requested to– Ø Use Digital Mode for bookings Ø Avoid visiting LPG distributors · Citizens are requested to use alternate fuels like PNG, induction/electric cooktops etc.· In the current situation, all citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily usage. Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations Necessary measures have been instituted to ensure the safety and security of Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region, as informed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. As per Ministry: · Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to closely monitor shipping movements, port operations and safety of Indian seafarers, while ensuring continuity of maritime trade. · All Indian seafarers in the region are safe; no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels reported in the past 24 hours. · 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region; DG Shipping, in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions, is actively monitoring the situation. · DG Shipping Control Room remains operational 24x7 and has handled 4699 calls and 9364 emails since activation; 144 calls and 290 emails received in the past 24 hours. · DG Shipping has facilitated safe repatriation of over 959 Indian seafarers so far, including 9 in the last 24 hours. · Port operations across India remain normal with no congestion; State Maritime Boards of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry have confirmed smooth functioning. · Ministry continues to coordinate with Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations. Safety of Indian Nationals in the Region Regular contact is being maintained with the Indian community in the region, with necessary assistance being extended and advisories issued for their safety and well-being. As informed by the Ministry of External Affairs: · Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Prime Minister of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Rob Jetten, and discussed ways to further strengthen India–Netherlands ties. The Prime Minister highlighted the potential for cooperation in semiconductors, mega water projects, green hydrogen and talent mobility. Both leaders also exchanged views on West Asia and emphasized the need for early restoration of peace and stability. · Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region. The safety, security and welfare of the Indian community remains the highest priority. · The dedicated special control room remains operational. The Ministry is in regular touch with States and Union Territories to share information and coordinate efforts. · Missions and Posts across the region are functioning round-the-clock, operating 24x7 helplines and maintaining regular contact with the Indian community, associations, organisations and companies. Updated advisories are being issued regularly. · Missions remain in close contact with local Governments and continue to assist seafarers, students and Indian nationals with visa facilitation, consular services and logistical support.· Since February 28, around 5,72,000 passengers have returned from the region to India. Ø In the UAE, around 85 flights are expected to operate today. Limited non-scheduled flights continue based on operational and safety considerations. Ø Flights continue to operate from Oman and Saudi Arabia to India. Ø With the Qatar airspace partially open, around 8–10 non-scheduled commercial flights are expected to operate to India today. Ø Kuwait and Bahrain airspaces remain closed. Special non-scheduled commercial flights are operating from Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia to various destinations in India. Ø In view of the airspace closure in Iran, travel of Indian nationals is being facilitated through Armenia and Azerbaijan. Ø In view of airspace restrictions in Israel, travel of Indian nationals is being facilitated via Egypt and Jordan. Ø In view of the airspace closure in Iraq, travel of Indian nationals is being facilitated through Jordan and Saudi Arabia. *** MN (Release ID: 2247268) Visitor Counter : 1388 Read this release in: ही , Khasi , Urdu , Marathi , Assamese , Bengali , Gujarati , Odia , Tamil , Telugu , Kannada , Malayalam