HYDERABAD: With commercial cylinders now touching Rs 3,315 from Rs 2,321, a jump of Rs 994 or nearly 42%, local eateries have been handed a crisis disguised as a routine revision. Now, behind the steam and the clatter of pans, a desperate calculation has begun: hike prices and risk driving away regulars, or swallow the costs and face the grim prospect of shutting down.
According to the Telangana LPG Distributors Association (TLDA), only about 60-70% of the usual demand is being met, forcing businesses to bridge the gap through costly alternatives, including the black market.
Smaller cylinders have also seen a sharp rise. A 5 kg commercial cylinder now costs Rs 914.50, up by over Rs 240 from Rs 673. Larger non-domestic cylinders, barring the 19-kg variant, have risen by Rs 53 per kg to Rs 175 per kg.
On the ground, the impact is immediate. Street vendors, already sourcing cylinders at Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 in the black market, are now under further strain.
“What else can go wrong? Should we shut our businesses or just accept this and move forward?” asked Srilatha, who runs a tiffin centre in Karkhana. “We will now run at a loss every day. Whatever we earn will go into buying cylinders. There will be no profit left,” she added.
Raising prices is hardly an option. “Just last month we raised prices from Rs 30 to Rs 40. We can’t increase them further,” said Rakesh, who runs a tiffin centre at Paradise.
Hostels and paying guest accommodations are also adjusting, stretching one cylinder where two were earlier used. “Sometimes we are not getting cylinders even for Rs 5,000. We are managing with just 30-40% of our actual requirement, but we cannot function without LPG entirely,” said Alkesh, who runs three PGs in Ameerpet.
Adaptation has taken a practical turn, with wood-fired stoves, diesel chulhas and induction cooktops returning to kitchens. “Wood-fired cooking has helped us save nearly 50-60%,” said Alkesh, though alternatives like hydrogen-based fuel and bio-pellets remain at an early stage.
Restaurant owners describe the situation as a “double burden”, with LPG savings offset by rising electricity bills. Sandeep Balasubramanian, founder and owner of Doki Doki, said LPG prices have nearly doubled since February, from around Rs 1,750 to over Rs 3,300. “Now it is over Rs 3,300. Can we increase menu prices accordingly? No, it’s not practical. We’ll lose customers or be forced to shut down,” he said. His outlets have halved consumption, but costs remain high.
Despite the strain, restaurateurs rule out compromising on quality. “Reputed businesses cannot take that risk; in today’s digital era, even a single complaint can damage a brand instantly,” Sandeep said.
TLDA president K Jagan Mohan Reddy linked the crisis to broader factors. “Availability this month is limited to around 60% of demand, and that is beyond our control,” he said, warning against parallel market operators selling cylinders at inflated prices. “This is a refined product, and global developments are not encouraging. There are reports of refinery shutdowns in some countries. We do not know how long this will continue,” he added, noting that Telangana, which typically consumes around six lakh commercial cylinders a month, is currently receiving only about four lakh.
For businesses, the situation has boiled down to survival. “We are just trying to keep our kitchens running. At this point, staying open itself is a struggle,” said a Hyderabad-based vendor.
