**1. Introduction**

India commits to addressing climate change without compromising economic growth. It continues to expand its energy basket and reduce over-dependence on coal and oil. India is on the right path to managing its energy transition. It aims to increase the share of natural gas to 15% by 2030 [1] from 6.5% at present. Experts believe that India must go through multiple phases of the energy transition. In this context, many believe that natural gas could play the role of a transition fuel. However, we believe that natural gas has a more prominent role than just a bridge fuel. The government firmly pushes the adoption of natural gas as a clean fuel. In line with the United Nation's sustainable development goal # 7 [2], natural gas offers a solution to ensure modern and clean energy is accessible to millions of customers at an affordable price in India. Further, natural gas is a viable and affordable solution to reduce pollution in cities and industries. The transport sector, one of the biggest CO2 emitters, stands to benefit from the higher penetration of natural gas in the country.
