Jamshedpur: Tata Steel Vice President (Corporate Services) D. B. Sundara Ramam said that a suspension of commercial LPG supply would affect companies across the industrial sector. Ramam said that Tata Steel is assessing the situation and working on ways to deal with the challenge.
The statement comes after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas directed a temporary halt to the supply of LPG meant for commercial use. The move has raised concerns among industries that depend on LPG for their operations.
Speaking to journalists after a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in Jamshedpur, Sundara Ramam said the company had received a copy of the order only recently and was currently studying it.
“We are happy that the central government is prioritising LPG cylinders for domestic consumers. However, commercial LPG cylinders are also essential for industries,” he said. He said that if the supply of commercial LPG is completely stopped, it would affect production and supply chains.
Sundara Ramam said industries would request the government not to halt commercial LPG supply completely. According to him, the company is also exploring alternative gases that could replace LPG for industrial use. “At present, we are examining possible alternatives to LPG,” he said.
He clarified that his remarks were not intended to create panic. “Our aim is only to assess the situation and find ways to deal with the challenge,” he added.
Sundara Ramam also spoke about the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region. He said companies initially expected the conflict to end within a few days, but it has continued longer than anticipated. “As the conflict continues, it is affecting not only the availability of raw materials but also global supply chains. This may increase production costs for companies,” he said.
He added that Tata Steel is currently in alert mode and actively exploring alternative solutions to minimise the impact of the evolving situation.
