Rising demand fuels over 19% jump in natural gas import bill

INDIA'S NATURAL GAS import bill surged by 19.4% to $11.7 billion during April-December of the current fiscal, compared with $9.8 billion in the same period last year, driven by rising consumption, according to data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC).

- Arunima Bharadwaj

In December, the import bill increased by approximately 9% to $1.2 billion, compared to December 2023.

The country imported 28,586 million standard cubic meters (mmscm) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) during the period, reflecting a 24% increase over the corresponding period of FY24. Analysts attributed this growth to a combination of rising demand and stabilised global natural gas prices, which had previously surged to record highs in FY23.