Over 10.3 Crore Poor Families Benefiting from Subsidized LPG: Minister

As on March 1 this year, the beneficiary base of those availing subsidized LPG under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has increased to 10.33 crore, and the number of active domestic LPG consumers in India is 32.94 crore, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Even after the 63% rise in global LPG prices—from $385 per metric ton (MT) in July 2023 to $629 per MT in February 2025—the PMUY consumers have seen a decrease of 44% in effective price from ₹903 in August 2023 to ₹503 in February 2025, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

India imports about 60% of its LPG currently, and prices are directly linked to the trends in global markets. A regular 14.2 kg LPG cylinder is retailed at ₹803 in Delhi, but the targeted subsidy of ₹300 per cylinder is provided to PMUY consumers, lowering the effective price to ₹503 per cylinder for more than 10.33 crore beneficiaries across the country.

Growth and Expansion of PMUY
Launched in May 2016, the PMUY initiative aimed to provide deposit-free LPG connections to adult women from economically weaker households. Initially set to achieve 8 crore connections, this target was met by September 2019. The scheme was later extended under Ujjwala 2.0, ensuring coverage for additional low-income households.

Due to various government measures enhancing LPG access and affordability, the per capita consumption of LPG among PMUY beneficiaries has steadily increased:

3.01 cylinders annually (2019-20)
3.68 cylinders annually (2021-22)
3.95 cylinders annually (2023-24)
4.43 cylinders annually (2024-25)

Through these initiatives, LPG penetration in India has increased from 62% in April 2016 to almost universal coverage today, the minister pointed out.

Actions to Encourage LPG Adoption

To enhance LPG adoption, the government has taken a number of steps, including:
Awareness campaigns for PMUY benefits
Enrolment drives and distribution camps
Advertising using hoardings, radio jingles, and online platforms
Online facility for application through www.pmuy.gov.in and at local LPG distributorships

Further, public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) are proactively augmenting LPG distributorships, especially in rural India. Since the launch of PMUY, 7,959 new LPG distributors have been opened, 93% of which serve rural areas, making it more accessible.

Impact on Rural Households and Environment
Independent research points out the beneficial effect of PMUY on rural society, especially women and families residing in inaccessible regions. The transition from conventional cooking habits—wood burning, dung, and crop residues—to LPG has seriously brought down indoor air pollution. This has resulted in improved respiratory health, notably in women and children most affected by household smoke.

For rural families, where time and effort are needed to gather traditional fuels, LPG has removed this strain. Women are losing less time on cooking and fuel gathering, and are free to seek economic opportunities and increase their productivity.

At the environmental level, the shift away from biomass towards LPG has prevented deforestation and ecological degradation, ensuring sustainable energy use and conservation practices.

Highlighting these advantages, the minister noted that the PMUY initiative has been an essential factor in enhancing lives, empowering women, and promoting environmental sustainability throughout India.