With the worldwide focus on energy transition, India is promoting natural gas as a 'transition fuel' of future. The demand for natural gas globally is projected to increase by 7% in 2024. In spite of elevated natural gas prices, which are prompting consumers to seek other alternatives, gas will play a key role in satiating India's growing energy needs for at least three-four decades.

The Indian government has set the targets to increase the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 from the current level of around 6% that is roughly four-fold rise in the country's natural gas requirement.

India being a natural gas deficient country, import dependency would continue to grow. India’s self-sufficiency ratio for natural gas in 2021-22 was 50.9 percent. Of the roughly 50 percent of imported gas LNG (liquefied natural gas) about 75-80 percent is sourced through long-term contracts and the rest through spot purchases.

In February 2020, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released a draft LNG policy to increase India's capacity to convert natural gas to Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) from the existing 42.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 70 mtpa by 2030.

At present, India has six operational import terminals. To consume the targeted quantity of gas, a lot of effort is being directed to strengthen the country's infrastructure -- both the trunk line and the pipeline network

Earlier, in 2020, the ministry had announced a 'One Nation One Gas Grid' programme to expand the country's LNG infrastructure; more than 15,000 km of gas pipelines, covering 407 districts, is scheduled for completion by 2023 under this programme.