India rolls out major financial and LPG policy changes on July 1, 2026

Effective 1 July 2026, India is implementing a suite of consumer‑financial reforms. Passport fee structures are rising, with normal passports now costing ₹2,500 (up from ₹1,500) and urgent passports ₹5,000 (up from ₹3,500). Commercial LPG cylinder prices in Delhi fell to ₹2,930 from ₹3,113, while petrol was reduced by ₹5 per litre and diesel by ₹3. Car manufacturers announced price hikes of 1.5‑3% citing higher raw‑material costs. Credit‑card reward points and airport‑lounge access rules are being tightened, and banks are prohibited from selling financial products without explicit customer consent. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) plans to launch EPFO 3.0, enabling PF withdrawals via UPI within minutes, and the income‑tax filing deadline for the fiscal year has been set for 31 July 2026 with penalties for late submissions.

Separate LPG‑related rules also start on 1 July. Consumers must verify an OTP for cylinder booking and provide a Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) at delivery. E‑KYC is now mandatory for receiving the Ujjwala subsidy, and the subsidy amount has been cut from nine to four cylinders per year. Households with a piped natural gas (PNG) connection must activate PNG and surrender any LPG cylinder within 30 days, or risk connection termination for non‑payment of gas bills. A cash memo with delivery details is sent to the registered mobile after each transaction.