The bids were submitted for all 86 geographical areas offered in the ninth round of bidding, according to a statement by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board. The technical bids would be opened between July 12 and 18, it said.

Adani Group emerged as the top bidder, eyeing as many as 52 cities, GAIL Gas Ltd., the city gas distribution arm of state-owned GAIL India Ltd., put in bids for close to 30 cities while Indraprastha Gas Ltd. put in bids for 13 cities, newswire PTI reported. Essel Infraprojects Ltd., the infrastructure arm of the Subhash Chandra-led Essel Group, has put in seven bids. India Gas Solutions Pvt Ltd., an equal joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd. and U.K.’s British Petroleum Plc., dropped out at the last moment, PTI reported citing unnamed sources.

A World Health Organisation study released in May listed 14 Indian cities among the world’s 20 most polluted. Efforts to increase the share of natural gas consumption can help reduce kitchen and auto emissions as part of the global pledge to keep the average increase in temperature below 2-degree Celsius.

As many as 86 geographical areas in 174 districts are on offer—higher than the previous edition. Bidders have been asked to quote the number of compressed natural gas stations to be set up and number of domestic cooking gas connections to be given in the first eight years of operation.

Investment Boost Likely

The ongoing round will see a fourfold rise in investment, ratings agency Crisil said in a report. The government expects to net Rs 70,000 crore from winning bidders, or nearly four times the Rs 15,000-18,000 crore that was invested in the year ended March 2018.