PNGRB bats for a level playing field across EV, CNG and LNG vehicles

To illustrate | Photo credit: The Hindu

A level playing field for all types of vehicles – from electric vehicles (EVs) to compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) – is essential to ensure a functioning consumer economy for each segment, said Anjani Kumar Tiwari, Member, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the launch of The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) benchmarking of vehicle fuels, Mr. Tiwari said consumer economics must remain central to policy making for all fuels.

“Economic considerations are important for consumers. At the same time, it is important to have a level playing field for all vehicle technologies,” he said.

According to him, such parity could be achieved through a combination of appropriate taxation, subsidies, infrastructure support and policy interventions. Without a balanced framework, he said, it would be difficult for consumers to compare the true economics of different vehicle variants.

The TERI-PNGRB report aims to address these gaps by identifying areas where infrastructure creation, incentives and tax structures need to be aligned across fuel categories.

“Where infrastructure needs to be created, where incentives are to be given or tax rates need to be similar across the board. Those are some of the things that would help create a level playing field and that’s what the report is trying to put forward,” he said, adding that leaving any segment unattended would make the overall paradigm “unbalanced.”

He attributed the pressure on the recent hike in CNG prices to higher input costs following renewed conflict in West Asia. According to him, India’s immediate priority is to ensure the availability of fuel.

“Once it (disruption due to the West Asian crisis) stabilizes, prices will eventually come down and eventually be passed on to consumers,” he added.

Mr. Tiwari also highlighted the role of compressed biogas (CBG) in reducing India’s dependence on imported gas. Under the government’s target of building 5,000 CBG plants by 2030, the sector could make a significant contribution to domestic gas availability.

“If these 5,000 plants were to operate at 50% capacity, around 30-40 million metric standard cubic meters (MMSCMD) of gas could be produced per day, depending on the (feedstock) yield,” he said.

Published – 30 Sep 2026 22:23 IST