Now Reading: India gas demand up 6.8% in June; US replaces Qatar as top LNG supplier
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India gas demand up 6.8% in June; US replaces Qatar as top LNG supplier
India gas demand up 6.8% in June; US replaces Qatar as top LNG supplier
India’s natural gas consumption rebounded to 197 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) in June 2026, a 6.8% month-on-month rise that took demand back above pre-Iran crisis levels, according to a…
The Story in Brief
India’s natural gas consumption rebounded to 197 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) in June 2026, a 6.8% month-on-month rise that took demand back above pre-Iran crisis levels, according to a JM Financial report. The recovery was led by a 13% surge in LNG consumption to 110 mmscmd. Meanwhile, the US has overtaken Qatar as India’s largest LNG supplier. Equirus Securities reported that US supplies jumped 253% year-on-year to 2.19 million tonnes (MT) during May-July 2026, while Qatar’s share slumped 91% to just 0.23 MT after its 82 million tonnes per annum plant was shut since March. India’s total LNG imports rose 15% to 7.08 MT in the period. Import dependence now stands at 56%.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that India would be helpless if one big supplier shut its tap has been tested and found wanting. Qatar’s plant closure did hurt, but buyers scrambled and found alternative cargoes from the US, Africa and Oman. The real test now is whether this diversification is a one-off fix or a lasting shift. If Qatar restarts at full throttle, will Indian buyers stick with costlier spot LNG, or rush back to long-term Qatari deals? That choice will reveal how serious India is about energy independence.
Sources (2): energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com, businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
