Mumbai’s hospitality sector says commercial LPG shortages are beginning to choke restaurant kitchens, with longer refill wait times disrupting daily cooking operations. Industry body AHAR warns some establishments have already shut temporarily as restaurants struggle to secure timely cylinder supplies
A worker carries LPG cylinders. Representation pic/PTI
Mumbai’s hospitality sector has flagged growing concerns over access to commercial LPG cylinders, with the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHAR) warning the shortage has already forced some establishments to temporarily shut operations.
‘Protecting household supply’
Atul R Shah, Executive VP, All India LPG Distributors Federation; Executive President All India Bharatgas Distributors Association
“India has about three months of LPG supply earmarked for households. If diverted for commercial use, that could be exhausted in 15 days. The priority is safeguarding supply for 1.4 billion people.” A review team from Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum is evaluating urgent requests from hospitals and other critical services.
Restaurants flag operational risks
Suraj Shetty Restaurateur, Mahesh Lunch Home, Banana Leaf
Restaurateurs say the shortage could affect daily kitchen operations. “Restaurants depend on a consistent and reliable supply of commercial cylinders. The shortage is creating operational challenges across the hospitality sector.” AHAR has also alleged that roadside vendors are using domestic LPG cylinders meant strictly for households, creating what it calls an uneven playing field.
Restaurants preparing for disruption
Ashesh Sajnani, founder of Le Cafe and Via Bombay
Says his Goa hotel, The Passport Hotel, has already installed induction units as a precaution.
Some kitchens have already begun contingency measures:
>> Removing fuel-intensive dishes
>> Cutting slow-cooked menu items
>> Switching to induction cooktops
>> Considering coal tandoors again
No gas turbulence
With reports of LPG shortages emerging from cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, the government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to ensure a stable and uninterrupted supply of cooking gas. Airline food services in India also fall under the ambit of the Act, given their dependence on LPG and other regulated supplies for large-scale meal production. The sector is led by major players such as Taj SATS Air Catering Limited, Ambassador’s Sky Chef, Sky-gourmet Catering Private Limited and Oberoi Flight Services, and industry sources indicate that operations are expected to remain unaffected by the
current shortage.
Panic or real shortage?
Abhayraj Singh Kohli Partner, Pritam da Dhaba, The Roll Company; Founder, Grandmama’s Cafe, MRP, TORII, and Nakhra
Some industry players say the fears may be driven partly by speculation. “It’s not just a supply crunch — it’s panic engineered by black marketers trying to cash in. This LPG crisis has exposed how fragile our fossil-fuel dependence really is. The restaurant industry in Mumbai must now seriously explore electric induction and other clean alternatives before the next shock hits,” Kohli said.
Unauthorised booking in Bengaluru
Madhu Menon, Amid the LPG shortage, Bengaluru resident alleged unauthorised bookings on his Indane gas account prevented him from ordering a cylinder.
“When I tried booking, it showed a delivery had already been made on February 26,” Menon told mid-day. After he raised the issue on X, the company contacted him and delivered a cylinder, with Menon claiming “multiple unknown phone numbers were linked to my account” and that bookings had been made “directly through delivery drivers without my knowledge.” In his update tweet, Menon said, “The agency just delivered a gas cylinder to my door, and the delivery guy told me sir wanted to say it was ‘by mistake’ and it ‘won’t happen again’. Also wanted me to give some letter to them and delete my tweet. I said no to both.”
LPG pressure on restaurants
Key numbers What they means
Rs 1835 Cost of one commercial LPG cylinder
21 days Typical refill cycle for restaurants
25 days New official minimum waiting period
3 months Domestic LPG buffer stock
Restaurants say the extended refill timeline is creating operational stress for kitchens that rely on a steady supply of commercial cylinders for daily cooking.
Why the supply is tightening
The government has revised natural gas allocation priorities amid the escalating West Asia conflict.
Priority sectors for gas supply
>> Domestic LPG
>> CNG for vehicles
>> Piped cooking gas for households
Gas allocation to sectors such as petrochemicals has been reduced to protect essential consumption.
33 crore
Approx no of active LPG consumers in India
Inputs by Madhulika Ram Kavattur
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