The Union government has cleared an incentive scheme to speed up household Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections through City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies, starting 1 September 2026. India now has 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections. For every extra billed connection beyond an area-specific threshold, eligible CGD entities will receive an additional 200 Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of cheaper Administered Price Mechanism (APM) gas. Running in two six-month tranches, the scheme is expected to cut the payback period on PNG connections from about 10 years to nearly 3 years. Allied steps include National PNG Drive 2.0, quicker approvals, standard Right-of-Way charges and a unified digital portal.