How to Choose a Genuine CNG Kit in India — Approved Brands, Legal Registration, and Common Scams

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) — the statutory agency under MoRTH responsible for type-approval of automotive components — certifies CNG kits that meet Indian safety and emissions standards. As of 2026, the four kit brands with the strongest Indian track record (widest service network, genuine ARAI certification, reliable component supply) are Landi Renzo (Italian origin, established Indian presence), BRC (Italian, widely installed), Lovato (Italian, strong in Gujarat and Maharashtra), and Bedini (Italian-engineered with Indian assembly).

Avoid unbranded or locally-assembled kits. The cost saving is ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 upfront; the cost of a component failure that voids your insurance runs into Lakhs. Insist on a holographic authenticity sticker on the ECU and a written warranty from the authorised dealer — not from the fitter independently.

The CNG cylinder is the single most safety-critical component in the system — it stores gas at 200 bar working pressure. Only Type-1 all-steel cylinders compliant with Indian Standard IS 15490 / ISO 15500 are legally permitted for passenger-car retrofits in India. The cylinder must carry a CCoE (Chief Controller of Explosives) / PESO-approved stamp, a manufacturer identification number, a manufacture date, and a first hydro-test certificate.

Common passenger-car sizes are 60 litres water capacity (WC) for small cars, 65 L WC for compact sedans/hatches, and 70 to 80 L WC for larger cars. A 60 L WC cylinder holds approximately 10 to 12 kg of CNG, giving most small Indian cars a range of 250 to 320 km on gas.

Two kit architectures exist: open-loop venturi (old, cheap, mixes CNG at the air intake — incompatible with modern ECU-controlled engines), and sequential injection (modern, injects CNG into each intake port in sync with the engine's fuel-injection cycle, works with BS6 Phase 2 emissions compliance). For any Indian car sold from April 2020 onwards (BS6) — and certainly for any BS6 Phase 2 car from April 2023 onwards — only sequential injection is appropriate.

If the installer offers an open-loop kit on a 2021 or later car with a promise that it "will work fine", walk out. The check-engine light will come on within a few hundred kilometres, emissions will fail, and the OBD-II system will log fault codes.

Fitting a CNG kit changes the vehicle's fuel type in law — the RC (Registration Certificate) must be updated accordingly. The process involves: installer produces a Form 22-A (fitness and conformance certificate for the CNG kit and cylinder), the vehicle is inspected at the RTO, the RC fuel-type field is updated from "Petrol" to "Petrol + CNG", a new smart card (or RC sticker) is issued, and the vehicle's VAHAN record is updated.

Expect this to take 15 to 30 days and cost ₹500 to ₹2,000 in RTO fees depending on the state. A reputable installer handles the paperwork end to end — the price quote should include the RTO fee explicitly. If the installer offers a lower price by "skipping the paperwork", you are buying an illegally-modified car that will fail its next fitness inspection and void your insurance.

Every IRDAI-regulated motor insurance policy requires you to disclose material modifications. A CNG retrofit is a material modification. Failing to update the policy gives the insurer grounds to reject any claim — even one unrelated to the CNG kit itself. In practice, insurers do not ask "was this car modified?" post-loss; they inspect the car and discover the undeclared kit, then deny.

Updating is simple: inform the insurer in writing with the Form 22-A copy, the CNG kit invoice, and the updated RC. The insurer adds a CNG endorsement to the policy, usually for an additional ₹500 to ₹1,500 per year on the own-damage component. Preserve the endorsement email and updated policy PDF with the car's permanent records.

A correct CNG installation involves routing high-pressure gas lines, mounting the cylinder securely in the boot or under-floor, installing pressure-relief devices, integrating with the car's ECU via a wiring harness, and performing a post-install leak test (usually with soapy water at all joints while pressurised). A short-cut installation — badly secured cylinder mounts, gas lines routed through the cabin, missing pressure relief — is the difference between a safe retrofit and a future emergency.

Ask the installer to do a post-install leak test in your presence. Photograph the cylinder mounting points. Ensure the emergency cut-off switch is accessible from the driver's seat. Confirm the gas lines are fully outside the passenger cabin. An installer who refuses or rushes any of these is signalling something.

Counterfeit kits: Components made to look like Landi Renzo or Lovato but without ARAI certification. Distinguishing factors are subtle — different holographic sticker, different weight, different ECU case finish. Only a branded dealer can spot the difference reliably.

Second-hand cylinders with forged hydro-test certificates: A used cylinder sold as new, with a printed certificate claiming a recent hydro-test that was never performed. Cross-check the certificate number against the issuing testing centre directly.

Skipped RTO endorsement: Installer collects the RTO fee, promises to file the paperwork "next week", and disappears. Buyer discovers only at fitness renewal — by then, the fitter's number has stopped working.

Open-loop kit at sequential prices: Installer tells a buyer their BS6 car has a "sequential-ready" kit fitted. Check the receipt — the specific component list should include sequential injection ECU, injection rail, and per-cylinder injectors. A single gas mixer is the giveaway for an open-loop kit.

Cheap independent fitters: A small workshop quotes 40% below branded dealers, uses unapproved parts, disappears when the kit fails. No warranty claim, no service, no redress.