Hardeep Singh Puri

Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas · BJP

Petroleum & Natural Gas

BJP Rajya Sabha Lakshadweep

Career

Petroleum Minister since 2021; Rajya Sabha (UP)

Current term

Since Jul 2021 · Present

Born

1952 · Age 74

Education

MA (History), Delhi University; career IFS diplomat

Terms in Office

Petroleum Minister since 2021; Rajya Sabha (UP)

About

Indian politician and diplomat (born 1952) Hardeep Singh Puri is an Indian politician and retired diplomat of Indian Foreign Service who is serving as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2021..

Projects & Initiatives 3 ongoing

National Green Hydrogen Mission

Ongoing

Budget₹19,744 crore (central outlay, 2023–30)

TargetMission target 2030

Since 2023 · India's target: 5 MT green hydrogen/year production by 2030. Incentives for electrolyser manufacturing (₹4,440 crore) and green hydrogen production (₹13,050 crore). NTPC, HPCL, and IOCL leading projects.

City Gas Distribution Expansion

Ongoing

ReachGovt. reported: PNG household connections rose from 25 lakh to over 1.59 crore; CNG stations from about 968 to over 8,477 · PIB Jan 2026

Since 2019 · Expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) to homes and CNG to vehicles across 306 geographical areas covering 400+ districts. Clean, cheaper fuel alternative to LPG and petrol/diesel.

Ethanol Blending Programme

Ongoing

ReachGovt. reported: ethanol blending rose from under 1.5% (2013–14) to 20% (2025–26); procurement over 1,200 crore litres projected in ESY 2025–26 · PIB Jul 2026

Target20% blending reached in 2025–26 (PIB Jul 2026)

Since 2018 · Mandatory blending of ethanol with petrol to reduce oil import bill and support sugarcane farmers. India achieved 10% blending in 2022, five years ahead of target.