Do you want the dosa to be cooked perfectly crisp? Off the menu. Those freshly fried canteen samosas? Also went away. The ongoing tensions in the Middle East have started impacting everyday industrial activities in India as the shortage of commercial LPG has started disrupting factory operations. Manufacturers said the supply shortage is creating disruptions not only to production processes but also to regular employee facilities like factory canteens. “Now every day has become a new challenge,” Satish NS, president of refrigerator and television maker Haier India, told ET. “Component suppliers are facing challenges with low LPG supply, which will impact final production. Brazing operations in factories are being affected. And even running factory canteens has become difficult, which is why we are now electrifying all the equipment.”
India Inc redesigned its menu
The stress is being felt in the staff kitchens, where the menu is being reduced as dishes that consume more gas have been removed. Meals that require little or no cooking, including packaged foods and sandwiches, are increasingly being served to workers, while tea supplies have also been reduced in some plants. Things like dosa, samosa and non-vegetarian dishes are gradually disappearing from factory canteens. In many plants, they are being replaced by simpler alternatives that require minimal cooking. Describing the situation as “hand-to-mouth”, officials said some facilities now have LPG stock that can last only till the weekend.Its effect is visible on many big manufacturers. Parle Products, the country’s largest packaged food company, has reduced the variety of food served at its 10 company-run factories and 125 third-party plants. The canteen menu, which earlier included many items, has now been restricted to only a few dishes. Food items like chapatti, dosa and fried snacks have been replaced by simpler preparations like sandwiches. The company employs about 4,500 people in these plants. “Employees understand the problem,” said Mayank Shah, vice president of Parle Products. “Even in plants running on fuels like LPG, propane and butane, production is being affected, with some shifts or lines not functioning. “We are trying to balance overall production with those plants that have been least impacted.”
It’s not just the food industry!
Other companies have also begun to adjust their operations. At Mahindra & Mahindra, the canteen has removed live counters and fried foods to reduce gas consumption. Similarly, Tata Motors warned participants attending a supplier event at its Pune plant that the food menu would be restricted. Manufacturing facilities in the country typically employ 3,000 to 5,000 employees, including contract and indirect employees, while the management of canteens is usually outsourced to external vendors.Kamal Nandi, head of equipment business at Godrej Enterprises, said the shortage has severely impacted the brazing work involved in sheet metal operations. “It has become a face-to-face situation,” he said. “We are trying to substitute for LPG as we have supply only till Saturday. This is when the demand for cooling appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators is at its peak.”
Stoves make a comeback as India Inc turns to alternatives
To ensure that workers continue to be fed, the company has resumed the use of firewood stoves in its canteens. To deal with the shortage, factories are introducing electric alternatives including induction cooktops, electric rice cookers and electric roti makers. Wood stoves have also returned in some places. GK Sharma, India region chairperson of French auto parts maker OP Mobility, said the company is exploring options like electricity and solar energy. However, LPG shortage is still affecting some operations. “We are going through a difficult period,” he said, referring to the impact on paint shop processes.However, not all factories faced disruption as many had already switched to alternatives. Canteen operations at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, which manufactures trucks and buses under the Bharat Benz brand, are continuing as normal. The facility’s kitchen runs entirely on electricity after the plant switched to 100% solar power, saving it from the existing LPG shortage.
Here’s what the government is doing to minimize the impact:
As the energy crisis deepens amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the government has taken steps to prioritize LPG supply to households. Earlier on Thursday, the Center announced a 20% cap on the average monthly supply of commercial LPG by oil marketing companies, which will coordinate distribution with state governments. Refineries have also been asked to maximize LPG production. Some have already increased production by diverting propane and butane streams to LPG production. Manufacturing companies will receive up to 80% of the average supply received during the last six months.
