India to see Rs 4 lakh cr investment in gas infrastructure: Pradhan

India will see an investment of over Rs 4 lakh crore in development of gas supply and distribution infrastructure in the next five years as it chases the target of more than doubling the share of the environment-friendly fuel in its energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday.

Speaking at a national conclave on emerging opportunities in the natural gas sector, he said the 11th round of city gas distribution licensing bidding will shortly be launched that will help extend the supply of CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to household kitchens in 475 districts from current 400.

Natural gas currently constitutes 6.2 per cent of all energy consumption in the country.

Stating that the government has laid emphasis on developing a gas-based economy, he said natural gas is gradually becoming a bridging fuel for low carbon economy in India.

The government is giving special impetus to develop gas infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country connecting North to South and East to West parts of India, he said. "Over Rs 4 lakh crore of investment is in pipelines in the next five years."
"Chhattisgarh is the only state where the CGD network has not reached yet. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will also get connected to CGD network in the 11th bid round."
Domestic gas production is likely to increase in the current financial year to 34.55 billion cubic metre from 33 bcm output in the previous year. Also, pricing and marketing freedoms have been given to producers while LNG terminal capacity is being augmented and the national gas pipeline grid is being developed, he said. "We will soon have a gas pipeline network from Kutch to Kohima and Kashmir to Kochi."