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This homegrown fuel can bring down India's LPG imports
18 May 2026

Scientists at the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory in Pune are working on a revolutionary alternative to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Dimethyl Ether (DME).

This clean fuel could be a game-changer for millions of Indian households that rely on LPG cylinders for cooking.

The biggest advantage of DME is that it can be produced domestically using resources like coal, biomass, and methanol.

DME can be blended with LPG
Fuel independence

The development of DME is being hailed as a major step toward reducing India's reliance on imported fuels and bolstering energy security.

Dr. T Raja, Chief Scientist at NCL, said that "LPG and DME are almost equivalent."

He added that "the calorific value is slightly different," but assured that "DME can be easily blended with LPG, propane and butane mixtures while maintaining its effectiveness for domestic and industrial fuel use."

DME's potential applications
Diverse applications

The potential of DME is not just limited to cooking fuel in households. It can also be used in LPG-run autorickshaws and even replace the diesel generators in some cases.

Transition will take time
Transition plan

The transition to DME won't be instantaneous.

The initial plan is to blend 20% DME with 80% LPG, which could significantly lower India's LPG imports and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Project scientist Akash Bhatkar said, "If India starts using a 20% DME blend in domestic LPG, the country can save a substantial amount of foreign exchange spent on fuel imports."