The kitchen connection: E-cooking a key ingredient in India’s energy transition

India’s clean cooking trajectory has taken an upward turn in the past decade, with a rapid increase in access to clean cooking fuels. The two fuels that are enabling this transition are liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and piped natural gas (PNG). Domestic LPG connections increased from about 150 million in 2015 to 324 million in 2025, an increase of 116% over a decade. Domestic PNG connections increased from 3.3 million to 15.8 million in that time, prompting a massive infrastructure push for clean cooking fuels.

The connection-consumption gap widens 

These fuels, however, present many challenges. They are import-dependent, expensive, and subsidy-driven. These challenges have raised affordability concerns, resulting in a connection-consumption gap for these fuels. That implies that while the number of connections is rapidly increasing, consumption of these fuels lags. This is evident in the fact that while LPG and PNG connections equate to 115% coverage of Indian households, 40% of the population still depends on solid fuels for cooking, such as firewood, animal dung, and charcoal. 

The increase in connections is attributable to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a flagship scheme introduced in 2016 to expand LPG access among below poverty line (BPL) households. Under the scheme, about 103 million new connections have been provided. Households are offered a deposit-free LPG connection, with one free LPG cylinder refill to facilitate the transition from solid fuels for first-time users.

However, this alone could not boost consumption due to high fuel prices. Despite an additional Rs300 subsidy on LPG cylinder refills, consumption by PMUY consumers remains below the estimated average for non-PMUY households. 

Electric cooking or “e-cooking” offers a solution to these consumption and affordability challenges while enabling India’s transition to cleaner, safer, and more efficient kitchens. 

PNG and LPG do not align with India’s long-term goals 

India has three major long-term energy goals: energy security, energy affordability, and decarbonisation. Dependence on LPG and PNG undermines the achievement of these goals as it relies on massive imports of expensive fossil fuels.

India imports 60% of its LPG and 50% of its gas, resulting in an import bill of US$26.4 billion in FY2024-25, a 50% increase in six years. This import dependence exposes the country to energy security risks, price volatility, geopolitical disturbances, and supply disruptions. Gas prices, for instance, hit a record high in 2022 due to the Russia-Ukraine war and supply disruptions to long-term contracted LNG deliveries. The strong linkage between international LPG prices and domestic prices exposes the country to energy price risks. In 2022, a high propane price of US$700 per million British thermal units (MMbtu) by Saudi Aramco, India’s biggest supplier, has pushed domestic LPG cylinder prices beyond Rs1000. 

These high fuel prices – especially for LPG as the backbone of India’s clean cooking strategy – undermine energy affordability. In Delhi, for instance, the average LPG price rose by 45% from Rs688 in FY2019-20 to Rs1003 (excluding the universal Rs200 subsidy) in FY2024-25, and PNG increased by 70% from Rs27.5 in FY2019-20 to Rs48.5 in October 2025. This has prompted the government to provide subsidies to make these fuels affordable. While PNG has no direct subsidies, it is worth noting that more affordable, regulated domestic gas is given priority in the PNG sector. 

In 2020, the government briefly attempted to remove the LPG subsidies following a pandemic-driven price crash. However, it was forced to reinstate them as prices rebounded and started to have an impact on consumption, especially in poor households that could switch back to solid fuels. While these fuels carry energy security risks, high import bills, and lock in fossil fuel resources, dependence on LPG and PNG as clean cooking solutions also creates a significant fiscal subsidy burden. 

E-cooking: The next frontier 

E-cooking can offer relief to many of these concerns. It can cut import exposure, reduce subsidies, and, with a staged transition starting in urban areas, it can also help free up import-dependent resources for rural energy access. Transitioning to e-cooking also aligns with India’s renewable energy and decarbonisation goals. 

While India’s electricity generation is coal-dependent at present, massive renewable energy deployment is planned. In fact, India’s energy sector has seen dramatic shifts in the past decade, with higher renewable energy installations and increased affordability of clean energy. Half of India’s installed capacity is already non-fossil fuel-based, with renewable energy-based power generation also increasing rapidly. Solar- and wind-based power generation has almost doubled to 16% of total power generation in the country since 2020. Renewable energy tariffs are also lower than conventional fuels, and it is cheaper to set up a new clean energy plant than a thermal power plant. There is a compelling case for India to initiate an e-cooking revolution alongside its renewable energy deployment to ensure its longer-term decarbonisation goals are achieved on time. 

Transitioning to e-cooking also avoids locking in more fossil fuel dependence as it eliminates the need for a dual connection for cooking and lighting, a model increasingly being adopted by advanced nations. In July 2025, New York state mandated that all new residential buildings up to seven storeys and commercial buildings of 100,000 square feet or more should be all-electric from 2026.

For a family of four in India, e-cooking is more affordable even when calculated using the tariff for 400 to 800 units of monthly electricity consumption, where no subsidy is offered by the government. PNG was introduced as an affordable option for clean cooking, but global price volatility has made it the most expensive clean fuel option. A recent study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found that using PNG was 14% more expensive than e-cooking in Delhi, and 4% more expensive than LPG, even with the universal subsidy of Rs200 per cylinder. If the subsidy is removed, LPG becomes the costliest option, 37% higher than e-cooking and 20% more expensive than PNG. 

E-cooking: A worthwhile investment despite its flaws

E-cooking is a valid choice to help India achieve its medium- to long-term decarbonisation pathways. Rapid greening of the power grid and massive deployment of rooftop solar will resolve the source-level carbon emissions challenge of e-cooking and make it an even cheaper fuel choice. It is worth noting that e-cooking not only offers the greatest time and energy efficiencies, it has significant health and safety benefits. LPG and PNG release harmful nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, which is not the case with e-cooking. 

Other barriers to e-cooking uptake, such as the high capital cost of e-cooking devices and unreliable electricity supply, can be resolved by strategic policy design that creates a clear roadmap for the transition. The time is ripe for an e-cooking revolution in India; all it needs is the right policy signals and intention. 

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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