ADB Case Study of PMUY: Strengthening Energy Resilience Through Social Protection
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | SDG 13: Climate Action
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) | NITI Aayog
A new 2026 Asian Development Bank (ADB) working paper titled Strengthening Energy Resilience Through Social Protection A Case Study of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in India evaluates the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), India’s flagship social protection program aimed at providing clean cooking fuel (LPG) to women in poor households. Based on a survey of 8,473 households across eight states, the study finds that while PMUY has successfully expanded LPG access, significant challenges remain in ensuring sustained and exclusive usage. The report highlights that households using LPG as their primary fuel experienced marked improvements in indoor air quality and a reduction in cooking-related injuries compared to those relying on traditional biomass.
Economic and Health Benefits The study underscores the multidimensional impact of transitioning to clean fuel:
Cost-Effectiveness: Contrary to common perception, the analysis notes that LPG can be more cost-effective than firewood when accounting for the health costs and time poverty associated with biomass collection.
Health Outcomes: Access to LPG is directly linked to better respiratory health for women and children, who are disproportionately affected by household air pollution.
Energy Resilience: Clean cooking is framed as a core component of “energy resilience,” protecting vulnerable populations from the environmental and health shocks associated with solid fuel use.
Barriers to Consistent Usage Despite high ownership rates, many beneficiaries continue “fuel stacking”—using both LPG and firewood:
Affordability Constraints: High refill costs remain the primary deterrent for low-income households, often leading to a return to traditional fuels during periods of financial stress.
Structural Recommendations: To encourage exclusive LPG adoption, the paper suggests moving toward installment-based payment systems, expanding piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure, and redesigning subsidy structures to better target the most vulnerable segments.
What is “Energy Resilience” in the context of the PMUY study? Energy resilience refers to the ability of a household to maintain access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy services despite economic or environmental shocks. In the context of PMUY, it means ensuring that poor households do not slip back into using hazardous biomass (like firewood or dung cakes) when LPG prices rise or household incomes fluctuate. The study argues that social protection mechanisms must be designed to buffer these price shocks to make clean energy adoption permanent rather than episodic.
Policy Relevance
The ADB study provides actionable insights for MoPNG and NITI Aayog to refine India’s clean energy roadmap.
Subsidies as Health Investments: Reframing LPG subsidies not as a fiscal burden but as a high-return investment in public health and gender equity could justify more flexible and targeted support mechanisms.
Behavioral Interventions: The report advocates for localized awareness campaigns that emphasize the long-term economic benefits of clean fuel to shift cultural preferences for traditional cooking methods.
Infrastructure Diversification: Promoting Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in semi-urban areas can reduce the logistical hurdles of cylinder refills, thereby increasing the “manageability” of clean energy for the poor.
Data-Driven Targeting: Integrating PMUY data with other social registries could allow the government to deploy “dynamic subsidies” that adjust based on a household’s real-time economic vulnerability.
Follow the full report here: ADB Sustainable Development Working Paper No. 116