Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has approved an investment of ₹2,448.70 crore to build the 424.5-kilometre Kochi-Kanyakumari-Thoothukudi Natural Gas Pipeline, a project intended to expand gas transmission capacity across Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu.
The company said in an exchange filing on 21 September 2026 that its board had approved the laying, building and operation of the pipeline, known as KTPL. The system will have a total capacity of 6.84 million standard cubic metres per day (mscmd), including at least 1.71 mscmd of common carrier capacity.
The pipeline will transport regasified liquefied natural gas from the Kochi LNG terminal to demand centres across Kerala and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Its route will connect the Kochi region with Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi, extending the transmission network towards industrial, power and urban consumption centres in the two states.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) said the project would strengthen natural gas transmission infrastructure in southern India. According to the regulator, the pipeline would support the efficient evacuation and transportation of regasified LNG from the Kochi terminal to key demand centres in the region.
PNGRB also said the project was expected to help expand City Gas Distribution networks. Such networks supply piped natural gas to households and commercial users and compressed natural gas to transport operators, although the filing did not specify which cities or districts would receive new connections as a result of the project.
The regulator said the pipeline would also supply natural gas to industrial consumers, power plants and other downstream sectors. The stated capacity and common carrier provision indicate that the project is designed not only for IOCL’s own transmission requirements but also to provide regulated access for other eligible users, subject to the applicable framework.
IOCL was authorised to develop KTPL after a competitive bidding process conducted by PNGRB. The regulator said the company emerged as the successful bidder after evaluation of the technical and financial bids received. The supplied announcement did not provide a construction schedule, commissioning date, route-wise break-up of the investment or details of the downstream projects expected to use the pipeline.
The project places the Kochi LNG terminal at the centre of a broader southern gas transmission link. Its eventual urban impact will depend on how quickly City Gas Distribution networks, industrial connections and other downstream systems are developed along the corridor. IOCL and PNGRB have so far announced the investment approval, capacity and regulatory authorisation; further implementation milestones were not specified in the filing.
