Sweet shops in Kolkata struggle with LPG shortage, plan price increases
Telegraph | 28 March 2026
Some have increased prices, others are planning to and many have switched to diesel ovens — sweet shops in the city continue to grapple with the LPG supply shortage.
Commercial LPG is being sold at steep rates on the black market, leaving smaller traders struggling to cope. The LPG crisis has thrown the sweetmeat industry into disarray.
A sweet shop chain has posted notices across its six outlets detailing new prices for sweets and curd, citing the fuel price hike as the reason. The notice, in Bengali, mentions that the increase will continue for an “indefinite period” and the owner apologises for it.
“The commercial LPG that we used to procure for ₹1,650-1,700 is now selling for around ₹5,000, nearly three times the previous price. Even then, the supply is erratic. Switching to other forms of fuel is easier said than done. How do we survive? A hike was inevitable,” said Bhaskar Das, owner of Misti Mukh.
The sweetmeat industry has struggled to stay afloat since the LPG price revision on March 7, which increased the cost by ₹115 per 19kg cylinder. While some shop owners chose to stop preparing sweets that require significant fuel to thicken the milk, others reduced production while trying to gauge market dynamics.
On Friday, several shop owners said they plan to raise prices beginning next month.
“We have invested over ₹30 lakh to switch to commercial induction heaters. Buying commercial LPG from the black market is not feasible because we need around 17-20 cylinders a day. There is no alternative but to increase the price of our offerings by at least 20%,” said Parikshit Gupta of Gupta Brothers.
The sweetmeat industry in Bengal comprises thousands of small, medium and large enterprises operating in both organised and unorganised sectors.
Industry captains estimate the sector’s value at over ₹6,500 crore, providing direct and indirect employment to more than 10 lakh people in Bengal.
Several sweet shop owners said they were not considering a price hike ahead of Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year on April 15, when mishti sales peak.
“A price hike now would be a blow to buyers who are already grappling with higher domestic LPG costs. We are trying different ways to maintain production at the same level as before,” said Partha Nandy of Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy.
Among the alternatives, several shops have switched from conventional LPG to diesel bhattis. Many said the switch cost around ₹40,000 but at least eliminated dependence on commercial LPG cylinders.
“Shop owners have been calling to enquire about this switch to beat the uncertainty regarding commercial LPG. But not many are ready to hike their prices,” said Dhiman Das, president of Mishti Udyog, an umbrella organisation for sweet and namkeen manufacturers in Bengal and owner of KC Das.
“These are very difficult times for the industry, as most sweet shop owners are trying to find a fine balance between maintaining production and keeping prices stable,” Das added.