Industrial PNG cuts and commercial LPG shortage push Haryana factories towards slowdown

Gurgaon: Industries across Haryana are bracing for a slowdown. The ongoing gas crisis has threatened production, profitability and jobs. The situation, in the wake of commercial LPG cylinders' unavailability and industrial PNG supply's curtailment, is particularly worrying in the city, one of the state's largest industrial hubs. While Haryana has over 2.5 lakh registered industries, Gurgaon alone hosts more than 20,000 units, according to industry bodies. These city units — including auto, food processing, textiles, electronics, pharma, packaging and service-sector companies — are dependent on uninterrupted gas or power supply. Ashok Kohli from Udyog Vihar Chamber of Industry said, "Production and profitability will fall. If the crisis continues, it will eventually lead to job cuts. Owners may absorb losses initially, but workers will be hit hardest."Industry estimates suggest Haryana consumes over 2.5 million standard cubic meters (SCM) of industrial gas per day, with Gurgaon units using approximately 8-10 lakh SCM daily, a scale that leaves little room for disruption without cascading effects. Some of the industry started to invest in machinery and equipment to shift from gas to electricity. The big industry is monitoring the situation.Maruti Suzuki senior executive officer (corporate affairs) Rahul Bharti said, "We received some information about challenges in energy supply for our in-house and our suppliers' production operations. The situation is dynamic and evolving and we are monitoring it closely. As of now, our operations are running as per plan. If and when there is a material issue, we will inform our stakeholders."Progressive Federation of Trade and Industry chairman PK Gupta said, "Commercial LPG is unavailable and PNG supply is restricted." Gupta, who runs a large food services operation supplying 30,000 corporate meals daily, requires 200 SCM of PNG per day but now is asked to manage with 100 SCM. "A 50% cut makes normal operations nearly impossible," he said. Gupta added that although he previously invested in electric equipment to reduce dependency on gas, the shift will shrink profit margins. Annual fixed-price contracts prevent him from passing on increased costs to clients.