Lok Sabha Question No. 4628 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Installation of Smart Meter and Digital Monitoring System under NGD
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Smt. Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4628.

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st  August, 2025

## INSTALLATION OF SMART METER AND DIGITAL MONITORING SYSTEM UNDER NGD

## 4628.   SMT. JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT: SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  current  percentage of  natural  gas  in  India's  energy  mix  along  with  the  strategy  and initiatives  of  the  Government  towards  increasing/achieving  the  target  of  15  percent  by 2030 including progress made in this regard so far;
- (b) the challenges anticipated in achieving this target and the proposed solutions to address them;
- (c) the  projected  impact  on  the  country's  energy  security  and  environmental  sustainability with the expansion of natural gas usage;
- (d) the number of smart meters and digital monitoring systems that have been installed under National Gas Distribution (NGD), State-wise; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to encourage competitive gas prices?

## ANSWER

पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũालय मŐ राǛमंũी ( ŵी सुरे श गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a)  to  (c)  As  per  Energy  Statistics  2025  released  by  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme Implementation, share of Natural Gas in India's Energy mix was 7.0% (Provisional) during Financial  Year  2023-24.  Government  have  taken  various  steps  for  increasing  the  share  of natural  gas  in  the energy basket,  which inter-alia ,  include expansion  of National Gas Grid Pipeline, expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network, setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminals, allocation of domestic gas to Compressed Natural Gas (Transport)/ Piped Natural Gas (Domestic) CNG (T)/PNG(D) on priority, allowing marketing and pricing freedom with a ceiling price to gas produced from high pressure/high temperature areas, deep water & ultra-deep water and from coal seams, Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative to promote Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) etc.

Consumption of natural gas is impacted by its price vis-a-vis alternate fuels and cost associated  with  its  transportation  across  the  country,  including  hilly  areas  and  difficult terrains. Gas prices are dependent on various factors viz. domestic production, international availability, etc. Higher local production obviates need for additional imports. For increasing domestic gas production, Government have notified Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy  (HELP)  for  the  award  of  exploration  acreages  shifting  from  Production  Sharing mechanism to Revenue Sharing mechanism. Government further notified the policy reforms on 28th February 2019, where many of the processes and approvals were relaxed to promote 'Ease  of  Doing  Business',  Revenue  Share  from  Category  II  &  III  type  of  basins  were removed, except for windfall gains, 7 years Royalty Holiday for Deep & Ultra-deep blocks, concessional  Royalty  Rates  for  Deepwater  and  for  ultra-deep  water  blocks,  and  fiscal incentives  have  been  provided  for  early  monetization  of  fields  along  with  Marketing  and Pricing freedom for natural gas.

Consumption of natural gas not only enhances environmental sustainability as it is a cleaner and low-emitting fuel vis-a-vis other fossil fuels but also ensures energy securityby allowing (i) the country to diversify its energy mix and thereby reduce its reliance on imported oil and coal and (ii) reduce its vulnerability to the volatility of the international market.

(d) The  data  regarding  the  number  of  smart  meters  and  digital  monitoringsystems established  for  national  gas  distributionis  not  maintained  by  the  Government.  However, authorized  entities  implement  such  systems  based  on  techno  commercial  feasibility  in accordance  with  the  regulations  and  guidelines  issued  by  the  Petroleum  and  Natural  Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). For instance, in order to ensure precision metering, major gas pipeline operators install advanced measurement systems such as Ultrasonic Meters, Turbine Meters,  and  Rotary  Positive  Displacement  Meters.  These  are  integrated  with  digital  Flow Computers  and  Gas  Chromatographs.  All  these  metering  components  are  integrated  with Centralized SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) System, enabling real-time digital monitoring, efficient pipeline hydraulics management, and auto invoicing.

(e) With the endeavor to provide competitive gas prices to the consumers (in the PNG(D) segment of the CGD), Government have been allocating domestic gas on priority basis, the price  of  which  is  determined  in  accordance  with  the  revised  domestic  natural  gas  pricing guidelines  vide  Gazette  Notification  dated  07.04.2023  for  gas  produced  from  nomination fields  of  ONGC/OIL,  New  Exploration  Licensing  Policy  (NELP)  blocks,  and  pre-NELP blocks, where the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) provides for Government approval of prices. Under the revised guidelines, the price of such natural gas is determined as 10% of the monthly  average  of  the  Indian  Crude  Basket  and  is  notified  on  a  monthly  basis.  For  gas produced by ONGC and OIL from their nomination blocks, the APM price is subject to a floor of $4.0/Metric Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) and a ceiling of $6.5/MMBTU. The ceiling would be maintained for the next two financial years (2023-24 and 2024-25) and then  increased  by  $0.25/MMBTU  each  year.  Further,  Government  vide  notification  dated 07.04.2023 also allowed a premium of 20% over the Administered Price Mechanism prices on gas produced from new well and well interventions of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited & Oil India Limited from their nomination fields.This has led to price stability for consumers.

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