Domestic LPG consumers will need to complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication by October 1, 2026 to continue purchasing refills at subsidised prices, according to information cited by The Wire from the petroleum ministry and an Indian Oil RTI response.
Domestic cooking gas consumers in India are being required to complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication to continue accessing LPG refills at subsidised prices. The requirement marks a change from earlier government communications that described biometric authentication as encouraged rather than a condition for receiving benefits.
The development was reported following a Right to Information application filed by transparency campaigner Commodore Lokesh K Batra (Retd.). In its September 4, 2026 response, Indian Oil Corporation said eKYC needs to be completed only once and there is no charge for Biometric Aadhaar Authentication.
Consumers can authenticate themselves using any of their ten fingerprints. If fingerprint authentication is difficult, iris or face authentication can also be used, according to IOCL.
The requirements are different for certain Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries receiving Targeted Direct Benefit Transfer subsidies. An advertisement attached to the IOCL response states that PMUY beneficiaries, including those who have previously completed biometric authentication, must complete the process once in each financial year to receive the ₹300 subsidy on the eighth and ninth refills of a 14.2 kg cylinder, or proportionately from the 21st refill onwards for 5 kg cylinders. The report notes that it is unclear when this advertisement was issued.
If the required authentication is not completed by March 31, the advertisement says the withheld subsidy on those refills will lapse. It also states that LPG supply and delivery itself will not be disrupted because of incomplete biometric authentication, with beneficiaries able to continue booking refills within the prescribed annual limit.
Earlier government communications had taken a different approach. A Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry release in July 2024 said biometric authentication was being undertaken for PMUY and PAHAL beneficiaries but that no service or benefit had been stopped for consumers who had not completed it. Another July 2024 ministry communication said domestic LPG consumers were “encouraged” to undergo authentication at their convenience.
The same position was conveyed in a Lok Sabha response on July 25, 2024, which said consumers were encouraged to complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication and that services or benefits had not been stopped for those who had not done so.
According to the latest petroleum ministry statement cited in the report, however, domestic LPG consumers are now required to complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication by October 1, 2026 to continue purchasing refills at subsidised prices.
