LPG Subsidy: Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Mandatory From October 1 for Subsidised Refills

Domestic LPG consumers will need to complete Aadhaar biometric authentication by October 1, 2026, to continue booking subsidised cylinder refills, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas reportedly said.

Consumers who have already completed the authentication will not need to take any further action. As of September 19, 27.43 crore active domestic LPG consumers, or 89.9% of the total, had completed the process, according to the ministry.

Those who have not completed the authentication will have their subsidised refill bookings processed only after completing it.

Three ways to complete authentication

Consumers can complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication (BAA) in three ways.

They can authenticate at the time of cylinder delivery, where delivery personnel will use the concerned oil marketing company's mobile application. They can also visit their LPG distributor's showroom or complete the process from home through their OMC's mobile application.

Indane customers can use the IndianOil ONE app, Bharatgas consumers can use HelloBPCL, and HP Gas customers can use the HP PAY application for self e-KYC.

The ministry reportedly said video tutorials on the process are available through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana portal.

LPG will still be available without BAA

Consumers who are unwilling or unable to complete biometric authentication will not be barred from buying LPG.

However, they will not receive the subsidy. They will need to register their choice through their OMC's digital channels, including the web portal, mobile app, WhatsApp chatbot or IVRS.

Such consumers will be supplied 5 kg or 10 kg cylinders at market prices, subject to availability with the concerned OMC.

Deadline extended several times

The government had originally set June 30, 2026, as the deadline for completing BAA. It was subsequently extended to July 31, August 7, August 15, August 23, August 31, September 7 and finally September 14.

Since October 2023, OMCs have reportedly conducted a nationwide awareness campaign, including more than 12 crore SMS and WhatsApp messages, distributor and delivery-staff follow-ups, special camps at distributorships and rural locations, IVRS prompts, mobile notifications, social media outreach and newspaper campaigns.

Subsidy cost put at ₹210 per cylinder

The government said domestic LPG continues to be sold below cost, with the implicit subsidy standing at around ₹210 per 14.2 kg cylinder in September 2026. The subsidy had reached ₹721 per cylinder in June.

The government reportedly said it paid OMCs ₹22,000 crore in compensation in 2022-23 and is providing Rs 30,000 crore each in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Accumulated under-recoveries of public-sector OMCs on domestic LPG had reportedly crossed ₹62,000 crore as of August 31, 2026, according to the ministry.