Pune’s restaurant and catering businesses are facing severe challenges due to an acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, risking closures, menu cuts, and operational disruptions.On March 7, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) alerted Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, that commercial LPG supply to restaurants across the country is expected to halt. The NRAI urged the ministry to ensure continued support by maintaining a steady supply of LPG cylinders to the hospitality sector.
Ajinkya Udane, Pune Co Chapter Head of NRAI, emphasized, “Restaurants are the backbone of the hospitality industry, supporting thousands of families. The ongoing LPG crisis is causing grave operational difficulties. Many restaurants may be forced to shut down imminently without a stable LPG supply. We hope authorities act swiftly to prevent disruption in food services.”Saili Jahagirdar, president of Pune’s NRAI chapter and owner of three restaurants including Zillinth Bistro and Billion Burgers, confirmed the severity:
“From today, LPG cylinder supplies have stopped due to stock exhaustion. Dealers have been running on existing stock for days, but new supplies are now unavailable and future availability is uncertain.”Her restaurants require five cylinders daily but received none on Monday. “Two outlets are down to their last cylinder, and the third has one more that will last only a day,” she said. Jahagirdar also highlighted wider impact, noting her bakery vendor—who serves over 100 restaurants—faces shortages and anticipates running out of cylinders soon.Many hospitality entrepreneurs are still recovering from COVID-19 setbacks. Jahagirdar shared, “I’m still repaying loans taken to sustain staff and rent during the pandemic.
This LPG crisis adds to our challenges.”Industrial caterer Aditi Ambavane, serving around 5,500 workers across five kitchens in Pune’s industrial belt, requires 30-35 cylinders daily. “About 20-25 caterers here are affected by disrupted LPG supply. We managed for a few days with existing stock, but the shortage is worsening,” she said.Ambavane also highlighted the plight of small vendors, like women who make rotis, relying on LPG for daily production. “
They need 10,000-15,000 chapatis daily but are struggling without cylinders,” she said.Furthermore, many migrant workers in areas like Chakan live in accommodations without cooking facilities, fully dependent on company-provided meals. “We support the manufacturing units’ workforce, and this shortage impacts the entire supply chain,” Ambavane added.The ongoing LPG scarcity threatens to disrupt Pune’s food ecosystem, underscoring urgent calls for intervention to stabilize supplies and safeguard livelihoods.
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