ABB India has completed the commissioning of its ABB Ability™ SCADAvantage platform for THINK Gas Pvt Ltd, enabling centralized monitoring and automation across its extensive City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in India. The system integrates operations across 19 Geographical Areas (GAs) covering ten states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
The CGD network comprises more than 500 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations, roughly 5.5 lakh Domestic Piped Natural Gas (DPNG) connections, and approximately 17,000 inch-km of steel pipelines supplying natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial users. The centralized operations are managed from THINK Gas’s control centre in Chennai, enabled by ABB’s cloud-based SCADA platform.
The platform allows THINK Gas to oversee real-time gas distribution, manage pressure and flow, and streamline processes such as billing, reconciliation, and network planning. According to THINK Gas, operator costs were reduced by up to 60% after deployment. The system also helped improve responsiveness, reduce delays, and enhance control across the network.
Chiradeep Datta, Chief Operating Officer at THINK Gas, noted that automation and data-led decision-making have improved operational efficiency while enhancing safety and supply reliability. G Balaji, Senior Vice President, Energy Industries Division at ABB India, added that such technologies will be critical as India targets 15% natural gas usage in its energy mix by 2030. ABB currently supports automation for nearly 80% of India’s CGD infrastructure.
THINK Gas, formed through the merger of THINK Gas and AG&P Pratham, holds 19 CGD licenses awarded by the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). Operating across 50 districts in 10 Indian states, the company’s infrastructure supplies Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to vehicles and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to households, businesses, and industries.
The network is set to expand to over 24,000 inch-km of steel pipelines and more than 2,000 CNG stations, serving an estimated 180 million people across a geographic area of 324,000 square kilometers. THINK Gas represents the largest foreign direct investment in India’s greenfield CGD segment. Its investors include I Squared Capital and a Japanese consortium comprising Osaka Gas, JOIN, Sumitomo Corporation, and Konoike Transport. THINK Gas has been recognized for its initiatives in safety, sustainability, procurement, and customer engagement by various industry bodies.
ABB India, part of the global ABB Group, is a leader in electrification and automation technologies. The company’s solutions support core infrastructure such as energy, water, transportation, and manufacturing. ABB’s Process Automation division helps streamline industrial operations with a workforce of approximately 20,000 people worldwide.
