Glass bottle maker faces shutdown risk amid fuel shortage; faces Rs 600-crore loss

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A severe shortage of commercial LPG supply has put CANPACK India — one of the country's largest glass bottle manufacturers — under significant strain, with the firm warning that prolonged disruption could impact production volumes and even lead to the shutdown of its plant.The firm said its two state-of-the-art glass furnaces could not be allowed to cool abruptly, as doing so could cause damage worth nearly Rs 600 crore. CEO Vikram Potdar said the furnaces maintained molten glass at around 1,700°C and reducing the temperature safely took almost a month, while rebuilding and reheating furnaces could require up to six months. "Even if bottle production is paused, the furnaces must continue operating using fuel oil and LPG.," he said.CANPACK India, a global MNC producing aluminium beverage cans and glass bottles for the food, pharma and beverage industries, operates three advanced manufacturing plants in India, including two aluminium can units in Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, and Nuh (Haryana), both of which also face production risks due to the LPG crunch. Across its three plants, the firm employs nearly 1,000 workers.Potdar said multiple representations have been made to petroleum firms, the Maharashtra CM and the ministry of industry, requesting uninterrupted LPG and fuel supply to prevent industrial shutdowns.The glass bottle plant in Sambhajinagar operates two furnaces of 450-tonne capacity each and requires roughly 12 tonnes of LPG daily to function.Industry bodies cautioned that any interruption in bottle manufacturing could hit liquor and beer producers in the region. Sambhajinagar hosts six beer units and a similar number of foreign liquor plants, many of them producing major brands. A break in bottle supply could stall bottling operations and potentially affect state excise revenue.The LPG shortage has also pushed prices sharply upward. The cost of domestic LPG, which was around Rs 63 per kg 10 days ago, has now risen to Rs 135 per kg. Officials said commercial LPG availability in the city had almost collapsed. According to supply officer Pravin Phulari, the city distributes about 20,130 gas cylinders daily, but remaining stock is expected to last only two more days. Fuel reserves are also stretched, with petrol and diesel availability estimated at just 60%.Utsav Machhar, president of the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA), said industries were barely able to function on Tuesday. "Firms somehow managed to operate through the day, but shutdowns may begin as soon as stocks are exhausted. For now, operations are still running," he said.