Business EconomyPosted at: Mar 10 2026 7:01PM


After LPG distributors announce suspension of distribution, NRAI asks restaurants to conserve energy

P Krishna Kumar
New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) After the government invoked Essential Commodities Act on petroleum products, followed by All India LPG distributors announcing temporary suspension of distribution to non-essential consumers including hotels and restaurants, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the pan-India body of organised restaurant chains, has advised its member restaurants to adopt immediate fuel-conservation and operational measures.
In an advisory issued to members on Monday, the association said the ongoing geopolitical developments have severely affected the supply chain of commercial LPG, which could create operational challenges for the restaurant industry if the situation worsens.
The NRAI urged restaurants to rationalise menus by prioritising dishes that consume less gas, suspend items requiring long cooking cycles, switch off pilot flames when not in use and adopt batch cooking and pressure cooking to reduce fuel consumption.
The restaurant body also asked members to improve kitchen efficiency through centralised production, streamlined menus, monitoring LPG consumption and maintenance of burners and pipelines.
Restaurants were further encouraged to explore temporary alternatives such as induction cooking, electric fryers, ovens and rice cookers to reduce dependence on LPG.
The NRAI said it is engaging with the government to ensure that the restaurant sector, which supports millions of livelihoods, is recognised as a critical employment-generating industry and that commercial LPG allocations are safeguarded.

“There is a lot of anxiety and confusion among the restaurateurs because there is a lack of clarity. Because of this lack of clarity we are not able to take any informed decision on the situation. We heard that a lot of restaurants in cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore are facing serious supply crunch,” said Anurag Katriar, founder of Indigo Hospitality.
“Supply has completely stopped. If the situation continues like this, restaurants will start shutting down in the next couple of days,” said Sudesh Poddar, who operates multiple restaurants in Kolkata, director of Manthan Bar & Restaurant.
Poddar said that it was not easy to switch over overnight to induction cooking as they are not conducive for bulk cooking and energy load would also not support such a switch.
“There is a severe shortage of LPG supply to restaurants,” confirmed Pradeep Shetty, director of Maharaja Restaurants, Mumbai. He said that the conventional way of treating restaurants as non-essential consumer should change as people eat only one meal at home and depend on hotels and restaurants more as they step out of home for work or business.
Meanwhile, All India LPG Distributors Federation in a letter to distributors asked to suspend temporarily all supplies to non-essential commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants until overall supply position improves.
“Distributors who presently have stock of packed commercial cyliners are advised to prioritise supply only to cusomers falling under essential categories as per oil companies policy,” it said.
As LPG crisis has started impacting the hotel and restaurant businesses in Bengaluru and neighbouring cities of Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in a letter to the union Petroleum minister asked to review the policy and issue necessary directions to distribution companies to resume supply to hotels and restaurants which a lot of students, professionals, business travellers to the city depend on.
UNI KK RSA
Please log in to get detailed story.
Tags: #After LPG distributors announce suspension of distribution# NRAI asks restaurants to conserve energy
More News

17 Apr 2026 | 4:59 PM

New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) India may face mounting pressure on its current account deficit (CAD), which could rise to around 2 per cent of GDP if global oil prices increase, according to a report by CRISIL.

see more..

Markets rebound: Sensex jumps 505 pts, Nifty tops 24,300

17 Apr 2026 | 4:36 PM

New Delhi, April 17 (UNI) The Indian stock market on Friday recouped losses and ended higher. Nifty was above 24,300, supported by positive geopolitical developments. At close, the Sensex was up 504.86 points or 0.65 percent at 78,493.54, and the Nifty was up 156.80 points or 0.65 percent at 24,353.55.

see more..

ASMS, UAL Biotech Sign MoU to Promote Sustainable Agriculture

17 Apr 2026 | 3:30 PM

Hyderabad, Apr 17 (UNI): Avio Smart Market Stack Limited (ASMS), formerly known as Bartronics India Limited, on Friday said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UAL Biotech Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based bio-innovation company, to explore opportunities in sustainable agriculture and rural ecosystem development.

see more..

FSSAI directs States to intensify checks on use of prohibited fruit ripening agents

17 Apr 2026 | 3:07 PM

New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all States and union Territories to step up surveillance and enforcement against the use of unauthorized and hazardous artificial ripening agents in fruits, reiterating that substances such as calcium carbide are strictly prohibited.

see more..

Gautam Adani surpasses Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's richest person

17 Apr 2026 | 1:51 PM

New Delhi, April 17 (UNI) Gautam Adani surpasses Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's richest person, fueled by gains in Adani Group stock values. Adani's wealth stands at $92.6 billion, while Ambani's is about $90.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Both tycoons are among the top 20 richest people in the world."

Mukesh Ambani had long held the position, and now follows closely. While the gap remains narrow, the change highlights the volatile nature of global wealth movements.

see more..