India City Gas Distribution Network Buildout Reference

DISCLAIMER: This is an industry reference article based on publicly available reporting. Hebei Haihao makes no claim of supply, EPC participation, or commercial relationship with any company or contractor named in this article. All information is sourced from public news, corporate releases, and industry publications.

1. Project Background

India's City Gas Distribution (CGD) buildout is a national-scale infrastructure program coordinated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), with bidding rounds that progressively cover the country's geographical areas (GAs) for piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). The 12th CGD bidding round, concluded in early 2024, marked a major step toward effectively full geographic coverage. Eight geographical areas were offered in the 12th round, covering 6 northeastern states and the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, across 103 districts.

Per PNGRB publications, India now has 300 GAs authorized covering approximately 98% of population and 88% of area, and 33,753 km of natural gas trunk pipelines are authorized, of which around 24,623 km are operational.

For international procurement engineers, the India City Gas Distribution buildout is a multi-decade reference market for fittings and flanges in the smaller-diameter steel piping segment plus medium-pressure transmission pipe.

2. Scale by the Numbers

3. Contractor Map

The India City Gas Distribution market consists of multiple authorized entities including GAIL (India), Indraprastha Gas Limited, Mahanagar Gas Limited, Adani Total Gas, Indian Oil Adani Gas Pvt Ltd, Bharat Petroleum / BPCL CGD entities, HPCL, Torrent Gas, and others. Trunk pipeline development is led by GAIL and other authorized cross-country gas pipeline operators. EPC and pipe-laying contractors include several Indian engineering majors.

In the CGD context, materials procurement is mostly executed at the CGD entity level under PNGRB technical and safety regulations, rather than under a single national framework.

4. Typical Materials & Standards Profile

India's CGD piping spans steel transmission and distribution pipe and PE distribution mains. For the steel scope, generic technical context typically includes:

• API 5L PSL2 line pipe in carbon steel grades X42 to X65 for gas transmission spurs and city steel mains.
• ASME B16.9 butt-welding fittings, ASME B16.5 forged flanges and ASME B16.49 induction bends, supplied to ASTM A234 / A105N or to API / IS-equivalent standards.
• PNGRB T4S regulations (Technical Standards and Specifications including safety standards) for CGD networks.
• Coatings such as 3LPE for buried sections, plus FBE for fittings and bends.

Reference product families useful for benchmarking are listed under seamless butt-welding pipe fittings, forged flanges and non-standard forgings and hot induction pipe bends.

5. Procurement Lessons for International Buyers

First, the Indian CGD market is fragmented across many CGD entities with distinct technical-evaluation cultures, so suppliers must be ready for multiple parallel qualifications rather than a single national approval. Second, while a large share of small-diameter and PE distribution pipe is sourced domestically, larger-diameter steel transmission pipe, fittings, flanges and induction bends often see international competition, especially for higher-class and higher-grade requirements. Third, PNGRB minimum work programs (which set milestones each authorized entity must meet) shape procurement timing and create periodic surges of fittings and flanges demand.

Procurement teams modeling India CGD sourcing windows can engage via the inquiry portal.

6. Reference Takeaway

The India City Gas Distribution buildout is one of the largest steady-state piping markets in the developing world. With 300 authorized GAs, ~98% population coverage and a multi-year wave of CNG and PNG infrastructure to build under the 12th round, the India City Gas Distribution case is a key reference for international procurement engineers planning sustained sourcing of carbon steel fittings, flanges and bends.

Sources

• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2011361
• https://www.business-standard.com/economy/news/city-gas-distribution-entities-lag-on-minimum-work-programme-pngrb-124031700493_1.html
• https://kashmirobserver.net/2024/03/04/city-gas-network-expansion-jk-among-states-to-get-41000-cr-investment/
• https://www.pngrb.gov.in/pdf/press-note/20250407_NG_Projections2030_40.pdf
• https://www.pipeline-journal.net/news/india-expand-natural-gas-pipeline-network-nearly-11000-km

Hebei Haihao does not claim involvement in this project.