top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western...

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) spokesperson Pradeep Shetty.   “We are in continuous touch with the concerned authorities, but the situation is very gloomy. There is no response from the Centre or the Ministry of Petroleum on when the situation will ease. We fear that more than 50 pc of all eateries in Mumbai will soon down the shutters. The same will apply to the rest of the state and many other parts of India,” Shetty told  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ .   The shortage of commercial LPG has badly affected multiple sectors, including the hospitality and food industries, mass private or commercial kitchens and even the laundry businesses, industry players said.   At their wits' ends, many restaurateurs resorted to the reliable old iron ‘chulhas’ (stoves) fired by either coal or wood - the prices of which have also shot up and result in pollution - besides delaying the cooking.   Anticipating a larger crisis, even domestic LPG consumers besieged retail dealers in Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Akola, Nagpur to book their second cylinder, with snaky queues in many cities. The stark reality of the 12-days old Gulf war with the disturbed supplies has hit the people and industries in the food supply chains that feed crores daily.   “The ordinary folks leave home in the morning after breakfast, then they rely on the others in the food chain for their lunch or dinner. Many street retailers have also shut down temporarily,” said Shetty.   Dry Snacks A quick survey of some suburban ‘khau gullies’ today revealed that the available items were mostly cold sandwiches, fruit or vegetable salads, cold desserts or ice-creams, cold beverages and packed snacks. Few offered the regular ‘piping hot’ foods that need elaborate cooking, or charging higher than normal menu rates, and even the app-based food delivery system was impacted.   Many people were seen gloomily munching on colorful packets of dry snacks like chips, chivda, sev, gathiya, samosas, etc. for lunch, the usually cheerful ‘chai ki dukaans’ suddenly disappeared from their corners, though soft drinks and tetrapaks were available.   Delay, Scarcity  Maharashtra LPG Dealers Association President Deepak Singh yesterday conceded to “some delays due to supply shortages” of commercial cylinders, but assured that there is no scarcity of domestic cylinders.   “We are adhering to the Centre’s guidelines for a 25 days booking period between 2 cylinders (domestic). The issue is with commercial cylinders but even those are available though less in numbers,” said Singh, adding that guidelines to prioritise educational institutions, hospitals, and defence, are being followed, but others are also getting their supplies.   Despite the assurances, Shetty said that the current status is extremely serious since the past week and the intermittent disruptions have escalated into a near-total halt in supplies in many regions since Monday.   Adding to the dismal picture is the likelihood of local hoteliers associations in different cities like Pune, Palghar, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and more resorting to tough measures from Thursday, including temporary shutdown of their outlets, which have run out of gas stocks.

Airbus, Mahindra Aerostructures sign contract for H130 helicopter fuselage manufacturing



Airbus and Mahindra Aerostructures on Wednesday signed a contract for manufacturing H130 helicopter fuselage, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Ministry.


Minister for Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, chaired the signing ceremony, the ministry said.


This manufacturing contract marks a pivotal moment in India's aviation journey, further strengthening the global confidence in the country's industrial potential, the ministry said.


The ministry added that the partnership between Mahindra Aerostructures and Airbus underscores India's progress in the aviation sector and the government's steadfast commitment to the 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


Highlighting India's rapid aviation growth, the Minister shared that India is set to become one of the world's largest civil aviation markets, with over 2,200 aircraft expected to join the fleet in the next 20 years.


By 2030, India will handle 630 million passengers annually, growing at a CAGR of 6-8 per cent.Over the next 10-15 years, the domestic aerospace manufacturing market can grow to a USD 10 billion industry, encompassing structural components, avionics systems, and more, he said.


The Minister also acknowledged the exemplary contribution of Indian MSMEs and startups, which supply over USD 2 billion worth of aircraft components annually to global OEMs like Airbus and Boeing.


The event builds on the momentum from a February 2025 meeting chaired by the minister, focusing on accelerating aircraft component manufacturing in India. Attended by senior officials, industry leaders, and experts, the meeting aimed to chart a unified roadmap for bolstering domestic production and enhancing global competitiveness.


Secretary, MoCA, Vumlunmang Vualnam in his address emphasized how the H130 fuselage contract will not only bring cutting-edge technologies and jobs to India but also catalyze the development of domestic MRO capabilities and a robust manufacturing base.


The two Final Assembly Lines in India; one for the C295 military aircraft, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, and the upcoming H125 helicopter assembly line stand as beacons of India's thriving aerospace ecosystem and its strategic partnership with global players like Airbus, the ministry added.

Comments

bottom of page