India's LPG household count falls for first time in a decade amid supply constraints
Active domestic LPG customers in India dropped to 327.7 million in early September, a 1% decline from April, while the Ujjwala scheme base slipped by about 0.6 million.
According to oil ministry figures, India’s active LPG customer base contracted to 327.7 million at the start of September, down from 333.9 million in April, marking a 1% fall for the fiscal year. The Ujjwala scheme, which subsidises connections for low-income households, also saw a reduction of roughly 0.6 million, leaving 105.7 million beneficiaries. The decline follows supply pressures caused by the Iran war, which has curtailed Gulf-region LPG imports that previously supplied about 90% of India’s needs.
In response, oil marketing companies have stopped issuing fresh connections and are using Aadhaar-based biometric checks to remove inactive or duplicate accounts and those with access to piped natural gas. City gas companies have meanwhile expanded piped natural gas connections by nearly 0.6 million, reaching a total of 17.5 million customers. Regional losses were highest in southern India (2.63 million), followed by western (1.62 million), northern (1.5 million) and eastern regions (0.34 million).
Why it matters
The drop signals supply challenges and shifting energy preferences that could affect household fuel costs and India's energy market.
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