The Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC) has submitted a formal representation to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), urging the inclusion of Auto LPG (Autogas) in the ongoing TERI-led study titled “Comparative Assessment of Vehicular Fuels in India’s Energy Transition – A Multi-Dimensional Approach.” Commissioned by PNGRB, the study aims to provide evidence-based inputs to policymakers on various technology pathways for transport sector decarbonisation, air-quality improvement and sustainable mobility as India advances towards its net-zero goals.
In its submission, IAC has stated that excluding Auto LPG from the study would lead to an incomplete and potentially biased assessment, especially given the focus on gaseous fuels and the involvement of city gas distribution entities. The coalition has emphasised that Auto LPG represents a proven, immediately deployable transition fuel with a significant on-ground presence in India and should therefore form part of any balanced, technology-neutral evaluation.
Auto LPG has emerged globally as a pragmatic bridge fuel in the clean mobility transition, powering more than 30 million vehicles across nearly 80,000 refuelling stations worldwide. In India, millions of vehicles already operate on Auto LPG, supported by close to 2,500 dedicated dispensing outlets across the country, built on the strength of India’s well-established LPG infrastructure, including initiatives such as the Ujjwala Yojana. Unlike longer-horizon alternatives such as full electrification or hydrogen, Auto LPG offers immediate air-quality benefits by significantly reducing particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and other urban pollutants, without the need for large-scale new infrastructure.
Commenting on the representation, Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition, said, “It is important that the PNGRB-TERI study remains truly technology-neutral and reflective of real-world conditions. Auto LPG must be explicitly included so that all practical fuel pathways are assessed on common parameters such as total cost of ownership, well-to-wheel and tank-to-wheel emissions, infrastructure requirements, safety standards, supply resilience and consumer affordability. With more than 30 million vehicles globally and a strong and growing footprint in India, Auto LPG already delivers measurable air-quality gains in segments where electrification will take time. Excluding it from the study risks overlooking a solution that is available today, affordable for consumers, and aligned with India’s transition goals.”
In its detailed submission, IAC has made three specific requests to PNGRB. First, to include Auto LPG as an explicit fuel option across the study’s comparative scenarios, assessments and recommendations. Second, to allow IAC to participate as a stakeholder in consultations so that inputs on infrastructure, safety standards, taxation and implementation experience are accurately reflected. Third, to apply uniform evaluation criteria across all fuels to ensure a genuine level playing field, covering emissions, economics, infrastructure readiness and adoption potential.
The coalition has also offered full support to TERI and PNGRB by sharing operational data from the dispensing ecosystem, international benchmarks, safety and standards references, and facilitating stakeholder interactions with oil marketing companies, kit manufacturers and Auto LPG dispensing station operators.
IAC said that including Auto LPG in the study would strengthen national efforts to reduce urban pollution, enhance energy security through diversified fuel options, and promote affordable, cleaner mobility solutions. The coalition has requested an early meeting with PNGRB to discuss the matter and reiterated its readiness to contribute constructively to the study process.