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Commercial LPG shortage forces partial shutdown of eateries
Pune faces a commercial LPG cylinder shortage, forcing restaurants to limit operations or shut down, impacting food services and delivery platforms.
Pune: A shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is forcing restaurants, bakeries, and eateries across Pune to scale down their operations, with some even shutting down temporarily.
According to the Pune chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the shortage has emerged after the government prioritised domestic LPG supply, leaving commercial establishments struggling to procure cylinders needed to run their kitchens.
“The impact on commercial establishments is huge because the restaurant industry does not serve only regular customers. We also supply food to schools, canteens, hospitals and other essential institutions,” said Saili Jahagirdar, head of the NRAI Pune chapter and owner of Zillionth Bistro and Billion Burgers in the city.
Industry representatives stated that the situation contradicts recent reports suggesting that there were no restrictions on commercial LPG supply. Many restaurant owners claim distributors have either stopped supplying cylinders or drastically reduced availability.
“We usually require four to five commercial cylinders a day to run our kitchen. For the last few days, we have been getting barely one or two cylinders, which makes it impossible to operate at full capacity,” said Ardeshir Irani, a restaurant owner from Kondhwa.
Feroz Baig, who runs an eatery in the Camp area, said the shortage has already begun affecting daily business. “We have started limiting our menu because we cannot risk running out of fuel during peak hours,” he said.
While Ikram Khan, a prominent hotelier in Kalyaninagar, said that many establishments are switching to induction cooktops or even traditional sigri stoves to cope with the crisis.
“Commercial LPG is the backbone of kitchen operations and prolonged disruption could force many eateries to halt food services, as most small joints rely heavily on multiple cylinders every day. Immediate government intervention is essential to restore stable supply and ensure the continuity of food services for millions,” Khan said.
The NRAI has written to Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri seeking clarity and restoration of uninterrupted commercial LPG supply. In its letter, the association warned that the restaurant sector is heavily dependent on commercial LPG and any disruption could lead to large-scale shutdowns of food establishments.
The association also highlighted that India’s restaurant industry comprises over 500,000 establishments, generates an annual turnover of about ₹5.7 lakh crore and provides employment to more than eight million people.
Restaurant owners in Pune have requested that authorities ration the available supply rather than halt it completely, warning that prolonged shortages could disrupt food services across the city.
Industry stakeholders also said food delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato could face significant revenue losses if restaurant kitchens remain closed due to the fuel shortage.
