# India loses 6.2 million LPG customers in first drop in decade

2026-09-24T23:21:32+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

India's active domestic LPG customer base fell by 6.2 million to 327.7 million between April and August, the first decline in over a decade, according to oil ministry data reported by the Economic Times. The drop comes as the Iran war constrained Gulf supplies, prompting oil marketing companies to halt new connections and use Aadhaar-based verification to remove inactive customers. The government's Ujjwala scheme also lost 0.6 million customers, falling to 105.7 million. Business Today reports that domestic LPG production has risen again as refiners prepare for festive demand and continued uncertainty around Gulf supplies. ADNOC could not supply three cargoes due in September, but has committed to October volumes. India is also seeking to diversify, with state-owned refiners potentially sourcing up to 20% of imports from the US next year. Meanwhile, Livemint reports India is considering building 15 new LNG storage tanks at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore, with a possible 10% surcharge on pipeline tariffs to fund it, as the country relies on imports for nearly half its gas consumption.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The coverage splits on emphasis: the Economic Times leads with the customer base decline, framing it as a setback for the Ujjwala scheme, while Business Today focuses on rising production and supply diversification as proactive government responses. Livemint shifts entirely to LNG storage plans, omitting the LPG customer drop. The balanced reading: supply constraints are real, but the government is both tightening customer rolls and expanding storage. The key data point is whether the 1% customer drop reverses once Gulf supplies stabilise.

## Coverage

- businesstoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/india-boosts-lpg-production-as-festive-demand-rises-and-gulf-supplies-remain-uncertain-557399-2026-09-23?utm_source=rssfeed>
  Leads with production increase and diversification, omits customer decline
- economictimes.indiatimes.com (government critical) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/lpg-customer-base-dips-after-a-decade/articleshow/134468690.cms>
  Leads with customer loss, highlights Ujjwala scheme setback
- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/india-lng-reserves-imports-storage-capacity-11790249742053.html>
  Focuses on LNG storage plan, no mention of LPG customer base

Tags: ADNOC, Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil Corp., LPG, Ujjwala scheme
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