9 Years of Ujjwala Yojana: Over 10 Crore Families Empowered with Clean Cooking Fuel

Marking the ninth anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri celebrated the scheme’s transformative journey, highlighting its impact on over 10.33 crore underprivileged households across India.

Taking to social media platform X on Monday, Puri announced, “9 Years of Ujjwala Yojana, over 10.33 crore families thriving!” He emphasized the scale of the scheme’s success by revealing that over 238 crore LPG cylinders have been refilled under PMUY in the last nine years, a testament to its deep-rooted acceptance among India’s poor.

Launched in May 2016, PMUY aims to provide deposit-free LPG connections to adult women from economically weaker sections. Over the years, it has emerged as a symbol of women’s empowerment, improving both health outcomes and the quality of life for millions of rural households.

Puri further pointed out that in the last decade, 11,670 new LPG distributors have been added across the country, extending access to even the remotest regions, a move that has significantly strengthened last-mile delivery.

In 2021, the government launched Ujjwala 2.0, targeting an additional 1 crore connections, which was achieved by January 2022. Another 60 lakh connections were later added, taking the total under Ujjwala 2.0 to 1.60 crore by December 2022.

As of 1 March 2025, India boasts 32.94 crore active domestic LPG consumers, of which 10.33 crore are PMUY beneficiaries—showcasing the scheme’s pivotal role in India’s clean energy transition.

With PMUY completing nine impactful years, it stands tall not just as a fuel distribution program but as a cornerstone of India’s social and economic transformation.

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