Whalesbook
Restaurants across India are grappling with significant operational hurdles due to an acute shortage of commercial gas cylinders. Operators report booking cylinders weeks in advance with no guarantee of delivery, forcing many to reduce operating hours or temporarily shut down. This is particularly affecting roadside eateries and smaller establishments that rely heavily on popular fried dishes like samosas and chole bhature.
The reduced operational capacity directly translates to lower consumption of essential kitchen ingredients. Demand for sugar and edible oils, typically robust during summer holidays and wedding celebrations, is now declining. Industry experts note that this downturn could curb India's significant imports of palm oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil from major global suppliers. Edible oil imports already saw a nearly 9% drop in March.