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PNGRB organized a two-day meeting titled “Driving India’s Next Wave of Gas Demand” on 9–10 April, where Mr. Subhash Kumar, Director General, ACE, was invited as a panel speaker for the session on “Balancing Ease of Compliance and Regulation.”
The objective of the discussion was to deliberate on a critical shift in regulatory perspective—from viewing regulation primarily as a mechanism of control to positioning it as an enabler of efficient, responsible, and sustainable growth. The session focused on how a more facilitative regulatory framework can improve the ease of doing business in the gas sector, accelerate infrastructure development, and enhance the sector’s ability to attract long-term capital.
During the discussion, Mr. Kumar highlighted that India is currently a USD 4 trillion economy and aspires to become a USD 25 trillion economy by 2047. He noted that, apart from coal, India remains highly dependent on energy imports and is among the most energy-exposed countries globally. In this context, he emphasized the need to transition towards natural gas, which can help reduce emissions by approximately 40–50% compared to conventional fuels.
He further underscored the significant potential of Compressed Biogas (CBG) in India, estimated at around 62 MMT.
He stated that failure to utilize this potential would amount to wasting a valuable domestic energy resource. Integrating CBG into the gas ecosystem, he noted, can play an important role in addressing India’s energy security challenges while supporting the country’s cleaner energy transition.
Mr. Subhash Kumar also referred to India’s ambitious hydrogen programme, emphasizing that scaling up hydrogen will require leveraging the existing natural gas ecosystem. He highlighted that approximately 5–20% hydrogen blending can be transported through existing gas infrastructure, thereby enabling a cost-effective and phased transition.
He concluded by stressing that energy transition cannot be achieved by abruptly discontinuing one fuel and moving to another. Natural gas, in his view, is the only fuel that can effectively support a balanced and practical energy transition. Therefore, a clear roadmap is required to position gas as the central transition fuel and as a medium capable of supporting the transmission and integration of other clean fuels.
