The Union petroleum ministry on Tuesday clarified that biometric Aadhaar authentication for electronic know your customer (e-KYC) is required only for “unauthenticated” LPG customers, amid concerns during the ongoing cooking gas crisis linked to the West Asia conflict.
India has more than 330 million LPG consumers, including 105.1 million beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). While e-KYC is mandatory for PMUY beneficiaries to obtain a deposit-free LPG connection, the ministry said it is not required again for non-PMUY customers who have already completed the process.
“The requirement of eKYC applies to those LPG consumers who have not done eKYC so far. If you are a non-PMUY customer and have done it before, you don’t need to do it again,” the ministry said in a social media post.
Also Read: Trying to book LPG cylinder? Delhi Police has an urgent message for you that can save your bank a/c from getting empty
The ministry also explained that PMUY consumers need to complete e-KYC “only once every financial year” and only to receive targeted direct benefit transfer (DBT) subsidies after seven refills — on the eighth and ninth refill. “eKYC can be done easily sitting at home, free of cost. Supply of refills is not affected in any case. eKYC ensures transparency, establishes clear eligibility, weeds out ghost consumers and discourages diversion of LPG,” it added.
Also Read: LPG consumption slumps 17% in March on war-related shortages
Minister of state for petroleum Suresh Gopi told the Rajya Sabha on March 9 that the government is providing a targeted subsidy of ₹300 per cylinder for up to nine refills of 14.2kg cylinders per year in the financial year 2025-26. He also informed the Lok Sabha on March 12 that the government had paid compensation of ₹22,000 crore to oil marketing companies in FY 2022-23 and approved another ₹30,000 crore for FY 2025-26.
Three state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — dominate the LPG retail market. They recently raised domestic LPG prices by ₹60 per 14.2kg cylinder. The current retail price stands at ₹913 in Delhi, while eligible PMUY beneficiaries receive cylinders at an effective price of ₹613 after the ₹300 subsidy.
India has more than 330 million LPG consumers, including 105.1 million beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). While e-KYC is mandatory for PMUY beneficiaries to obtain a deposit-free LPG connection, the ministry said it is not required again for non-PMUY customers who have already completed the process.
“The requirement of eKYC applies to those LPG consumers who have not done eKYC so far. If you are a non-PMUY customer and have done it before, you don’t need to do it again,” the ministry said in a social media post.
Also Read: Trying to book LPG cylinder? Delhi Police has an urgent message for you that can save your bank a/c from getting empty
How to complete LPG e-KYC from home
- Download your LPG provider’s app (Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum or Hindustan Petroleum)
- Install the Aadhaar FaceRD app on your phone
- Log in using your registered mobile number or LPG ID
- Select the e-KYC or Aadhaar authentication option
- Enter Aadhaar details and ensure your mobile number is linked
- Proceed to face authentication via the FaceRD app
- Complete the facial scan as per instructions
- Submit and confirm the process
The ministry also explained that PMUY consumers need to complete e-KYC “only once every financial year” and only to receive targeted direct benefit transfer (DBT) subsidies after seven refills — on the eighth and ninth refill. “eKYC can be done easily sitting at home, free of cost. Supply of refills is not affected in any case. eKYC ensures transparency, establishes clear eligibility, weeds out ghost consumers and discourages diversion of LPG,” it added.
Also Read: LPG consumption slumps 17% in March on war-related shortages
Minister of state for petroleum Suresh Gopi told the Rajya Sabha on March 9 that the government is providing a targeted subsidy of ₹300 per cylinder for up to nine refills of 14.2kg cylinders per year in the financial year 2025-26. He also informed the Lok Sabha on March 12 that the government had paid compensation of ₹22,000 crore to oil marketing companies in FY 2022-23 and approved another ₹30,000 crore for FY 2025-26.
Three state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — dominate the LPG retail market. They recently raised domestic LPG prices by ₹60 per 14.2kg cylinder. The current retail price stands at ₹913 in Delhi, while eligible PMUY beneficiaries receive cylinders at an effective price of ₹613 after the ₹300 subsidy.
