The mindshifts behind Ujjwala’s decade of change
As Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana completes a decade, its relevance goes beyond its metrics. For policymakers elsewhere, the key question is not just what was achieved, but how a system constrained by inertia began to move at scale. The answer lies in a set of fundamental mindshifts — what the Causing Incredible Performance framework calls Reset Mind: identifying and altering the thoughts that limit action. Ujjwala shows that when the way a problem is seen changes, execution follows-offering a practical lens for large-scale policy design.
1. From scarcity to abundance
For decades, clean cooking fuel was treated as a scarce, urban-oriented resource. Access was rationed and expansion cautious.
Ujjwala flipped this. It operated from a stance of abundance-that clean energy access could be expanded rapidly and equitably. This enabled a shift from incrementalism to ambition, from “how much can we give” to “how many should we reach”. Scale became possible because the mental ceiling was lifted before the operational one.
2. From ‘available biomass’ to valued outcomes
In rural contexts, biomass was seen as a sufficient basis for cooking energy. Improved cookstoves and biogas were promoted, but adoption remained limited.
Ujjwala forced a more fundamental question: what outcomes matter-time saved, health improved, dignity enhanced?
Reframing the issue in terms of outcomes made it possible to see LPG not as a replacement for tradition, but as an enabler of new choices. Biomass, in turn, could be used differently.
3. From inevitability to intentionality
A persistent belief in large systems is that change will happen gradually-through rising incomes or education. Yet before Ujjwala, LPG adoption in rural areas remained slow.
PMUY shifted this from passive expectation to deliberate action-setting ambitious goals, mobilising supply chains, and driving adoption with urgency. This move-from inevitability to intentionality-explains the leap from stagnation to visible change.
4. From untargeted subsidies to smarter targeting
A key hesitation was whether another subsidised scheme would strain public finances.
Prior groundwork through PAHAL-direct benefit transfer, de-duplication, and better targeting-enabled more prudent subsidy management. This helped address fiscal concerns while enabling expansion at scale.
5. From doubts about readiness to confident adoption
Safety concerns were real: would first-time users-often in fire-prone homes-handle LPG safely? LPG expands nearly 250 times when released, creating a flammable cloud.
What followed challenged this assumption. As households adopted LPG, they learned to use it safely. Oil marketing companies invested in user education, and the widespread presence of the red cylinder built shared community knowledge. Along with a robust product, this enabled a shift from fear to confident adoption.
6. From affordability concerns to gradual adoption
Affordability was another concern: would households pay for refills, especially when women are not always decision-makers? Should cheaper alternatives come first?
Ujjwala resisted creating a lower-tier product, offering instead the same LPG system used by the middle class.
Adoption has been gradual. Many households began using LPG selectively-during illness, for guests, or in adverse weather-before integrating it into daily cooking. Others transitioned faster; some still face constraints. Over time, LPG has found a place in household budgets. Refill rates have risen from about 3 to around 5 cylinders annually, supported by smaller cylinders, financing options, and better last-mile delivery.
Conclusion: Policy as a function of perception
These shifts point to something deeper than a successful scheme: policy outcomes are shaped by the thoughts that precede them.
The scale and direction of Ujjwala were driven by a decisive shift in thinking at the highest levels. Leadership from PM Shri Narendra Modi and the then Petroleum Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan helped reframe clean cooking as a national priority anchored in dignity and access. This reset was carried forward by public sector oil marketing companies, their distributor networks, and frontline functionaries, along with women on the ground, who translated intent into execution.
It also reframed women from passive beneficiaries to customers, raising expectations and improving service delivery.
As India designs future interventions-in energy, health, or livelihoods-the lesson is clear: execution improves when perception shifts. The goal is not to prescribe a single path, but to understand which interventions deliver faster, larger, and more valued outcomes-and under what conditions.
The writer is a public policy practitioner and co-founder of Athulya Performance Facilitators, where she works with public leaders on achieving results at scale. She has worked on the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for five years; Views presented are personal.
