Driving efficiency in India’s cooking gas subsidy programs

• Jul 29, 2025
• 1 min

The Government of India, through the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), intended to enhance the efficiency and impact of its major cooking gas subsidy programs—Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). These programs targeted the direct delivery of subsidies to eligible households while promoting clean energy adoption among low-income families. However, to maximize benefits, the programs needed improvements in design, communication, enrollment processes, and overall governance. MSC supported the government by providing technical assistance through quick, evidence-based evaluations.

For the DBTL scheme, we conducted several assessments to improve how the program works, make the scheme portal more user-friendly, and strengthen communication, especially for the successful “Give-it-Up” campaign, which led 11 million households to give up their subsidies voluntarily.

For the PMUY scheme, we carried out impact studies in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh to understand its effects on household health, economic conditions, and women’s empowerment. We also helped improve communication materials about who is eligible, how to enroll, and how to use LPG safely, which were later used in national audiovisual campaigns.

Our inputs helped the government eliminate 40 million duplicate or ghost beneficiaries, leading to savings of USD 8.8 billion by 2023. The improved communication strategies further ensured greater citizen awareness and safer use of LPG connections among vulnerable populations.

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.