What Does "eKYC" Mean?
eKYC stands for "electronic Know Your Customer." In the context of LPG (cooking gas), it refers to the Aadhaar-based biometric verification that oil marketing companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil (Indane), Hindustan Petroleum (HP Gas), and Bharat Petroleum (BharatGas) — use to confirm the identity of LPG consumers.
This verification links your Aadhaar identity to your LPG consumer account. The goal is to ensure that government subsidies (delivered via Direct Benefit Transfer, or DBT) reach the correct person.
Why is it Required?
The government's stated reasons for requiring eKYC include:
- Subsidy verification: Ensuring that DBT subsidy payments go to genuine, verified consumers and that there are no duplicate or "ghost" connections.
- PMUY compliance: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries, who receive free or subsidised connections, are a particular focus for re-verification.
- Identity confirmation: Matching the registered consumer's identity with their Aadhaar biometric data to prevent fraud.
Non-PMUY customers who have already completed biometric verification once do not need to repeat it, per a March 2026 clarification from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. If you've already verified, you are likely not affected.
Who Needs to Complete eKYC?
Based on current advisories, the following groups are primarily affected:
- PMUY beneficiaries (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) — this is the highest-priority group for re-verification.
- Consumers with pending verification — those who received SMS or app notifications from their OMC indicating that their verification is incomplete.
- New connection holders who have not yet linked Aadhaar to their LPG account.
If you have not received any SMS or notification from your gas provider, and you are not a PMUY beneficiary, your verification may already be complete. You can check your status through your provider's official app or portal.
How is eKYC Done?
eKYC is completed through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication — typically using face recognition via the Aadhaar FaceRD app on your smartphone, or by visiting your local LPG distributor in person.
The process is entirely free. No one should charge you any fee or ask you to share an OTP to complete eKYC.
See Step-by-Step GuideWhat Happens If You Don't Complete It?
If you miss the deadline applicable in your region, the reported consequences include a pause of your DBT subsidy paymentsand a shift to the non-subsidized (market) rate for cylinder purchases.
Your gas connection itself is not disconnected. You can still purchase cylinders — you may just have to pay the market rate until your verification is complete.
Read More About Consequences