Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) has won the bid for the Kochi–Kanyakumari–Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline project, marking a significant expansion of India’s southern gas infrastructure.
The project involves a 425-km pipeline that will transport regasified LNG from the Kochi terminal in Kerala to key demand centres in Tamil Nadu, including Thoothukudi.
The pipeline, with a capacity of around 6–6.8 MMSCMD, is expected to strengthen gas availability for industries, power plants, and city gas distribution networks across the region.
The project is part of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board’s broader plan to expand India’s national gas grid and increase the share of natural gas in the country’s energy mix.
It will originate from the Kochi LNG terminal and connect to existing pipeline networks in Tamil Nadu, improving integration of southern states into the national energy infrastructure.
Officials say the project will enhance energy security, support industrial growth, and improve clean fuel access across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while also boosting long-term economic development in the region
