India Leads Global Long‑Term LNG Purchases in 2025

India emerged as the world’s largest long‑term LNG buyer in 2025, securing contracts for 8.4 million tonnes per year (MTPA) across six Indian entities – IndianOil (4.7 MTPA), GAIL (1 MTPA), GSPC (1 MTPA), Torrent Power (0.69 MTPA), BPCL (0.5 MTPA) and HPCL (undisclosed). The purchases support a plan to raise natural‑gas’s share of the national energy mix to about 15% within the next decade.

The expansion coincides with rapid growth in India’s regasification capacity, now the third‑largest globally at 52.5 MTPA, driven by new terminals such as Chhara and upgrades at Dabhol and Dahej. Despite added capacity, terminal utilisation fell to 47% in 2025. Four additional projects are slated to add 11.3 MTPA by 2028.

The 2025 LNG market was unusually active, with 83 long‑term sales and purchase agreements signed worldwide – a 30% rise over 2024. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, including an Iranian missile strike on Qatari facilities, have tightened supply and limited short‑term replacement options, heightening the importance of India’s contracted volumes.