In a significant step towards cleaner transport, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), in collaboration with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), hosted a high-impact roundtable conference titled “Gas se Gati, Bharat ki Pragati” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Opening the session, Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, highlighted India’s leadership in gas-based transport, from CNG cars to the world’s largest fleet of CNG-powered buses and three-wheelers. He added that the launch of the world’s first CNG two-wheeler last year marked a new milestone.
Dr Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, stressed that the auto sector, worth USD 240 billion, is key to India's carbon neutrality goal by 2047. He noted that the PLI scheme already supports CNG component localisation, strengthening both sustainability and self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, pointed out the enormous potential of CBG, especially from agri-waste. “India produces 228 MMT of agri waste annually. Converting even 10% of oil imports to CBG can transform rural economies, reduce pollution, and position India as a global green mobility hub,” he said.
Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., noted the government’s successful push towards nearly 10,000 CNG stations by 2025. He praised the transformative role of CBG in rural infrastructure and its potential to boost employment and air quality while driving down operating costs through improved fuel efficiency.
Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, Member, CAQM, said gas mobility is essential for Delhi NCR’s fight against pollution. He noted that bio-CNG can decentralise power generation, reduce stubble burning, and help tackle air quality issues.
Dr Anil Kumar Jain, Chairperson, PNGRB, delivered the keynote, underlining the role of existing gas infrastructure in India’s ongoing energy transition and the momentum behind CNG adoption as a successful intermediate fuel.
Closing the inaugural session, D Balakrishnan, Co-Chair, SIAM Gas-Based Mobility Group and VP (PD), Ashok Leyland, reinforced the industry’s commitment to cleaner, gas-powered transport solutions.
The thematic session, chaired by Ved Prakash Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, reinforced gas's role as a key transition fuel. He highlighted how Delhi has seen measurable pollution improvements over the past decade due to wider CNG use.
Experts such as Dr Mukesh Sharma from IIT Kanpur highlighted that switching from BS-IV to CNG vehicles has reduced PM emissions by up to 95% in cities like Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. Dr. Gaurav Mishra of MNRE discussed the potential of bioenergy from agri-residue to deliver 42 GW of power, reducing fossil fuel dependence.
The session also featured presentations on expanding city gas networks and emerging two- and three-wheeler technologies by senior leaders from Mahanagar Gas, Bajaj Auto, and Association of CGD Entities, moderated by Payal Goel of Deloitte India.
A concluding panel on “CBG & LNG for Today’s Mobility and Beyond”, moderated by Gurpreet Singh Chugh of ICF, featured insights from Venugopal Mothkoor, Senior Specialist, NITI Aayog. He emphasised LNG’s role in long-haul transport and the need to bridge capital costs for CBG to scale sustainably—drawing parallels with ethanol’s success.
With strategic policy backing, growing infrastructure, and cross-sector collaboration, the roundtable underlined that gas-based mobility is not just a clean alternative—it is a critical enabler of India’s sustainable transport future.
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