Street stalls squeezed by LPG shock

Across Delhi, small kitchens and roadside sellers have cut menus, instituted temporary four‑day weeks and in some cases shuttered operations as higher cooking‑fuel costs erode margins and reduce turnover. (bloomberg.com) New Delhi’s street‑food vendors are reporting sharply higher LPG costs tied to the Iran energy crunch, forcing menu and margin pressure on flatbread, stew and tea stalls outside the main bus terminus. (bloomberg.com) (financialpost.com) Reporters on the ground documented daily sales falling by about half and several vendor carts disappearing from the Kashmiri Gate stretch. (bloomberg.com) Only a handful of LPG vessels reached Indian ports this month, a shortfall described as enough to cover only a few days of demand. (bloomberg.com) The government‑priced, subsidised LPG cylinder for low‑income families is 613 rupees, but vendors and households are often paying roughly four times that on the market to secure fuel. (bloomberg.com) Commercial cylinders have been quoted at about ₹1,900 while domestic cylinders are reported near ₹913, and black‑market cylinder rates have been recorded between roughly ₹2,500 and ₹4,000. (businesstoday.in) Some stall owners have reverted to kerosene after buying kerosene stoves for about ₹3,000 — roughly ten times the usual cost for the appliance — to keep serving flatbreads, stews and tea. (bloomberg.com) Authorities say they have boosted local LPG production, prioritised household distribution and mounted anti‑hoarding actions as tanker inflows slowed amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Across Delhi, small kitchens and roadside sellers have cut menus, instituted temporary four‑day weeks and in some cases shuttered operations as higher cooking‑fuel costs erode margins and reduce turnover. (bloomberg.com)