LPG crunch hits cloud kitchen biz, operators hunt for alternatives

After shifting to clean cooking fuel, hundreds of women running cloud kitchens across Punjab are now exploring alternative arrangements as LPG supply is hit.

Several women entrepreneurs who had turned their culinary skills into small businesses — earning financial independence and contributing to household income — are now purchasing induction cookers and hot plates to keep their kitchens running amid fears of a prolonged cooking gas shortage.

Those involved in bulk tiffin services are even considering a return to conventional coal-based “chulhas”, reversing the shift to cleaner commercial LPG made in recent years.

Rakesh Mehra, whose wife Puja runs a cloud kitchen and sells over 100 tiffins daily — mostly to doctors and health professionals — said uncertainty over LPG supply had created anxiety. “Our LPG cylinder will last only about four days. If the shortage continues, we may have to temporarily shift back to a coal-based ‘chulha’. At the moment, we are taking orders in advance to manage supply,” he said. Gurmeet Singh said his wife Kamal had already purchased an induction cooker as a backup. “We have no option but to think innovatively. We cannot afford to stop the business, but we also do not want to go back to the traditional coal-based ‘angithi’,” he said.

Another entrepreneur, Sarabjit Kaur, who prepares nearly 40 tiffins daily, said she was considering using a kerosene or diesel-based stove as LPG cylinders became difficult to procure.

95.2 lakh LPG connections in state

Punjab has about 95.2 lakh LPG connections and 863 LPG distributors, according to data available on the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board website

Ludhiana is the largest LPG-consuming district with nearly 9 lakh connections, followed by Amritsar (7 lakh), Jalandhar (6 lakh) and Patiala (5 lakh)