Mumbai: The shortage of commercial gas cylinders in Mumbai has also affected clubs, religious kitchens, educational institutions, canteens, hostels, automobile sector, jewellery manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies among other sectors.Mithai manufacturer Vicky Jaisinghani of A1 Sweets, which is based in Ulhasnagar said the shortage of dry fruit from West Asia followed by the LPG cylinder crisis was taking a dual toll of business.Among establishments, the Mumbai Press Club said due to the shortage of gas it was issuing a restricted menu of non-LPG items like sandwiches, dry snacks and tandoori fare “until the situation improves”.Religious institutions which feed devotees are also impacted by the crisis. Gurdwaras affiliated to Sri Guru Singh Sabha, which provide free langar meals on a daily basis, are struggling to arrange cylinders or adopt coal based methods. Sardar Balwinder Singh of Pantnagar Gurdwara, Ghatkopar, said they also house 68 patients suffering from cancer. “We feed their relatives too. How will we function, our gas is nearly over.” Dadar Gurdwara’s Sardar Kulwant Singh said they have over 260 patients living there. “We are making a representation to the state govt to consider us a special case,” he said.Iskcon Juhu serves daily prasad to visitors and cooks meals for 150 sevedars in the temple, said spokesperson Parijata Devi. The Mumbadevi temple similarly serves khichdi to devotees after aarti. The temple requires six 14 kg domestic cylinders and four 19 kg commercial cylinders every month, said manager Hemant Jadhav.The Haji Ali Dargah is currently providing Iftar meals to 2,000 rozedars including fritters, pulao, chicken, said manager Mohammed Taher, who was anxious about gas supply.Even working hostels and canteens in the city are affected. The YWCA women’s hostel in Fort uses domestic cylinders to cater to 68 residents, said a staffer. The 25-day gap for each refill will weigh heavily. A few religious establishments like the Ghatkopar gurdwara had applied for piped gas connections years ago but there is no supply.

Mumbai: Hotel Free India at Jacob Circle, known for its kheema and butter chicken, has pulled down shutters. A popular veg restaurant Nanumal Bhojraj’s Masjid Bunder outlet was open Tuesday morning but shut down after it ran out of gas; New Edward Restaurant’s Shaan Chinese on D N Road was closed the entire day; Udupi Niketan in Bombay Central reduced the number of dishes it served and curtailed service timings. These are examples of disruption in the restaurant sector in Mumbai where the West Asia war has impacted commercial gas cylinder supplies. A growing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has forced several eateries in the Mumbai region to scale back operations. Chinese dishes and tawa recipes which require cooking on high flame were the first to go. Industry bodies say nearly 20% of hotels and restaurants in Mumbai are fully or partially shut due to lack of cooking gas and warn that up to 50–60% establishments may close in the next couple of days if the supply crisis continues.Hidayatulla Ismail Dukka, manager at Free India restaurant, said, “There has been no cylinder supply since Monday. Hence we decided to close from today.” Akshay Shetty of Udupi Niketan said he reduced the number of dishes and curtailed service for popular ones such as dosas and idlis which sell in larger quantities on low margins. “The reason is the price of LPG cylinders have suddenly skyrocketed,” said Shetty. Many small and mid-sized eateries have run out of cooking gas stock, leaving kitchen staff idle and uncertain about operations. Hoteliers alleged that shortage has triggered black marketing of LPG cylinders at around Rs 3,000 each in the grey market, far higher than the normal price of around Rs 1,700, which was recently increased to roughly Rs 1,840 following the Gulf crisis.However, no impact is seen so far on piped natural gas supply to commercial and industrial customers, said an official from Mahanagar Gas Ltd. A section of hotels and restaurants also operate on piped gas.The Indian Hotels and Restaurant Association (AHAR), which represents nearly 8,000 small restaurants, permit rooms and hotels across Maharashtra, said the crisis was exacerbated by an order from the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas saying additional provisions of LPG should be reserved only for domestic use. In the order of priority, the govt has signalled the need to first ensure uninterrupted supply to the domestic sector. An official from an oil marketing company said: “Steps have been taken to enhance LPG production and prioritise its availability for domestic consumers. Along with domestic users, it has been decided to make supplies as per requirement to essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions.”The official further said: “For LPG supply to other non-domestic sectors, a committee of three executive directors of oil marketing companies—Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL—have been constituted to review the representations and prioritise LPG supply based on merit, necessity, and product availability.”However, industry bodies say the bulk of small restaurants and roadside outlets, which provide affordable meals to a large workforce as well as students and tourists, operate with limited reserves of fuel. According to AHAR, the industry also provides around 40 lakh direct jobs and nearly 1.6 crore indirect or self-employment opportunities across Maharashtra, making it a critical sector for the economy.AHAR said it has written to Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighting the situation and suggesting that the industry may manage with up to 25% curtailment, but not complete stoppage. Hoteliers also met Maharashtra food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who assured them he would take up the matter with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and relevant authorities.Pradeep Shetty, vice-president of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India, “Following the March 5 notification from the ministry, there has been considerable confusion among suppliers and distributors, many of whom have stopped supplying commercial LPG cylinders to hotels, restaurants and food service establishments.”Shetty said shortages were being reported from Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur. Disruptions were also emerging in Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra. “If the situation does not improve in the next two days, nearly 50% of hotels and restaurants in Mumbai may be forced to temporarily shut operations,” he said.Restaurant owners pointed out that alternatives such as electric or induction-based cooking are not viable for commercial kitchens that rely on high-intensity cooking typical of Indian cuisine; new systems would also require significant investment and infrastructure changes. They are now hoping for urgent intervention by govt to restore LPG supply. (With inputs from Somit Sen)

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav holds the T20 World Cup trophy with teammates. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will host its annual awards ceremony (NAMAN) in New Delhi on March 15, where multiple Indian teams that lifted ICC trophies over the past year will be felicitated for their historic achievements.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the ceremony will celebrate India’s remarkable success across formats and age groups, with players, coaches and support staff from several title-winning squads set to be honoured.

“The BCCI Awards ceremony will happen on March 15 in New Delhi. We are going to invite all the ICC tournament winners, including the recent T20 World Cup champions, as well as coaches,” Saikia said while speaking to IANS.

The ceremony will recognise the victorious teams from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the junior sides that triumphed on the global stage. According to Saikia, the senior women’s team, the Under-19 boys’ side and the Under-19 girls’ team—each of whom secured ICC trophies in 2025—will also be part of the celebrations.“Apart from the senior men’s team, the senior women’s team, U19 boys side, and U19 girls team, who won the trophy in 2025, will also be invited,” Saikia added.In total, members from five Indian teams that captured ICC titles over the past year will be honoured during the awards night.“We will also invite the 2025 Champions Trophy winning team members too. So, five ICC trophies won by various Indian teams during the course of last one year – all the members of those teams will be honoured on the awards night and it will be a great evening,” Saikia said.As per the report, the venue is expected to be a five-star hotel close to the airport, considering that players from the men’s squad will soon join their respective franchises ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season starting March 28.

NEW DELHI: Cooking gas production has increased by 10% since the govt issued directives to oil refiners to divert all components used in LPG production to fill the supply gap caused by the West Asia war, officials said on Tuesday.Acknowledging complaints of a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders through social media from various sectors, especially hotels and restaurants, govt has formed a three-member committee to assess the situation, reports Atul Mathur. Officials maintained that gas agencies have enough LPG stock but admitted to “supply management issues” with commercial cylinders. The committee will have one executive director each from three state-run oil companies.

Govt priority must be domestic, not commercial, says official

An official said, “In a war situation, there is a choice between domestic and commercial consumers; the govt’s priority has to be domestic consumers.”Dismissing the complaints of shortage as “rumours”, officials added nearly 60 lakh commercial and domestic cylinders were being distributed every day, as before, and no domestic LPG distributorship was running dry. They added that cooking gas cylinders were being delivered within the mandated delivery time of two-and-a-half days, though deliveries were normally made within a day in the pre-conflict period.India has more than 33.3 crore domestic LPG consumers. Officials said cooking gas supply to households was being prioritised over commercial consumers to ensure there was no shortage.Govt last week invoked provisions of the Essential Commodities Act and asked state-run refiners to ramp up LPG production and divert the additional output solely to the domestic sector. This led to confusion in several states, following which National Restaurant Association of India wrote to petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressing concern over disruptions in the availability of commercial cooking gas cylinders.In a social media post, the three state-run oil marketing companies — IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — said along with ensuring supplies to all domestic customers, it had been decided to supply LPG in accordance with requirement to essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and school. The OMCs also posted contact details of committee members on social media and said anyone needing commercial LPG could approach the panel.“Since non-domestic LPG supply depends on the availability of imported products, the committee may not be able to address every grievance. Requests will be considered based on their merits and product availability, and appropriate decisions will be made accordingly,” the oil companies said in the post.

Ulhasnagar: One of the largest commercial complexes in Ulhasnagar is facing the threat of demolition after the Town Planning Department raised serious objections over large-scale alleged illegal construction within the premises, reports Pradeep Gupta.The Town Planning Department of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has issued a notice to the developer of Regency Plaza, a prominent commercial complex in the city, citing nearly 31,000 square feet of unauthorized construction along with several structural and regulatory irregularities in the building.According to the notice, Town Planner Vikas Birari has given the developer Sunder Developers seven days to submit an explanation regarding the alleged illegal construction. Authorities have warned that if a satisfactory response is not received within the stipulated period, demolition action may be initiated against the unauthorized portions of the complex.In the order, the Town Planning Department has also directed that the developer must not use the disputed illegal area during this period. Additionally, the ward officer of the municipal corporation has been instructed to seal the concerned portion of the complex until further orders.Regency Plaza houses around 500 offices of several well-known companies, businesses and multiples banquets making it one of the busiest commercial hubs in Ulhasnagar. Following the issuance of the notice, panic and uncertainty have spread among office owners and employees operating from the complex, who fear the impact of possible civic action. The issue reportedly came to light after social activist Swapnil Patil received information about large-scale additional illegal construction within the commercial complex.Patil subsequently filed a complaint with the UMC’s Town Planning Department.Acting on the complaint, the department earlier issued a notice to the developer directing them to demolish the illegal construction. Municipal officials had also carried out partial demolition of the unauthorized structure. However, it is alleged that the developer later reconstructed and began using the demolished illegal portion again.Meanwhile, the developer had applied for approval of a revised building proposal in an attempt to regularize the illegal construction. However, during scrutiny of the application, the Town Planning Department reportedly found several discrepancies and deficiencies in the proposed building plan submitted by the developer.Officials stated that the proposal did not comply with Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) norms, particularly with regard to adequate parking provisions required for the building. Several other irregularities were also identified in the proposal. As a result, the Town Planning Department rejected the revised building proposal and ordered the demolition of the illegal construction carried out in the complex. Speaking on the issue, activist Swapnil Patil said that Ulhasnagar is already struggling with the consequences of rampant illegal constructions, which have led to narrow roads and severe congestion, forcing many residents to leave the city. He further stated that while developers are expected to carry out construction in accordance with legal norms, some continue to violate regulations, damaging the city’s image. Patil added that strict action against such illegal structures is necessary to deter others and prevent further unauthorized construction in the city.

Airlines across Asia are increasing ticket prices and preparing contingency plans, including the possibility of grounding aircraft, as the escalating Middle East conflict threatens to trigger the biggest oil shock since the 1970s.Indian carriers have already raised fares on long-haul routes by about 15 per cent and are considering further hikes as jet fuel prices surge, people familiar with the matter said, as quoted by Bloomberg. In Vietnam, state media has warned that airfares could climb by as much as 70 per cent because of the country’s heavy reliance on imported jet fuel.

Industry analysts say airlines in Asia are particularly vulnerable because many carriers have weaker fuel hedging programmes than their counterparts in Europe or the United States.“Panic buttons have been set off everywhere,” June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities SA, told Bloomberg. “Airlines in Asia who have a weak hedging program are very vulnerable with the current jet-fuel pricing if they sold tickets at earlier price points than where we are now.”Some low-cost airlines in Southeast Asia are now preparing for scenarios in which planes may need to be grounded if jet fuel becomes too expensive or difficult to access, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Rising fuel prices threaten airline operations

The mounting pressure highlights the widening impact of the conflict, which erupted more than a week ago after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and has since disrupted air travel and fuel supplies globally.Oil prices have surged sharply amid fears of prolonged disruptions to shipping routes and energy supplies. According to Reuters, crude prices jumped 15 per cent to more than $105 a barrel, levels last seen in 2022, with Brent crude at one point rising as much as 29 per cent.Jet fuel prices have risen even faster in some markets, in some cases doubling since the start of the conflict.“Absent near-term relief, airlines around the world could be forced to ground thousands of aircraft while some of the industry’s financially weakest carriers could halt operations,” analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note cited by Reuters.Fuel is the second-largest expense for airlines after labour and typically accounts for between one-fifth and one-quarter of operating costs.

Travel demand at risk as fares surge

The sharp rise in ticket prices is also raising concerns about declining travel demand, particularly for leisure passengers.Lorraine Tan, director of equity research for Asia at Morningstar, said higher fares could discourage travellers and lead companies to scale back business travel due to the uncertain outlook, reported Reuters.“The issue for the airlines now is that travel demand may be curtailed as costs become prohibitive for leisure travellers,” Tan said.Since the start of the conflict on February 28, more than 40,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled as airlines reroute planes to avoid the conflict zone, according to aviation data provider Cirium cited by Reuters.Airspace closures have forced airlines to carry additional fuel or make extra refuelling stops to avoid sudden diversions.

Airline stocks fall amid uncertainty

Airline stocks have also come under pressure as investors assess the potential impact of higher fuel costs and weaker travel demand.In Asia, shares of several major carriers have fallen sharply. Asiana Airlines dropped to its lowest level in more than 21 years, while the BI Asia Pacific Airlines index slipped to its lowest point in over five years as oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel, reported Bloomberg.Other global carriers have also seen declines. Korean Air shares fell 8.6 per cent, Air New Zealand dropped 7.8 per cent and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific declined about 5 per cent, according to Reuters.European airline groups such as Air France-KLM and British Airways owner IAG also fell between 2.5 per cent and 6 per cent in early trading.

Some airlines see opportunity despite crisis

While many carriers face mounting challenges, some airlines with stronger fuel hedging programmes could benefit from the situation.Deutsche Lufthansa AG chief executive officer Carsten Spohr said the German airline group could gain a “relative advantage” if competitors are forced to raise ticket prices because Lufthansa is hedged against fuel price swings, reported Bloomberg.The airline is also planning to increase capacity on Asian and African routes as Middle Eastern carriers struggle to operate normally.Despite the turmoil, some industry executives remain cautiously optimistic that the conflict will be relatively short-lived.“My own personal view is this is shorter-lived,” said John Plueger, chief executive officer of Air Lease Corp. “The main point here is the world doesn’t stop. It may be put on hold,” he told Bloomberg.

Airlines begin raising fares worldwide

Several airlines have already started adjusting fares in response to the surge in fuel costs.Australia’s flag carrier Qantas Airways said it would raise ticket prices on international routes this week as jet fuel costs climb due to the conflict, according to Reuters.The airline said flights to Europe remain more than 90 per cent full in March, significantly higher than typical levels for this time of year. It is also considering increasing capacity on existing routes to Europe in the coming months.Other carriers, including Air New Zealand, have also announced fare increases as airlines worldwide grapple with rising operating costs and uncertainty over fuel supplies.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha recently addressed actor Taapsee Pannu’s remark about the portrayal of women in films. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan in an interview, the director shared his perspective on the debate around body representation in Bollywood and South Indian cinema. He also spoke about working with Taapsee and his past comment comparing her to Kangana Ranaut.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha recently addressed actor Taapsee Pannu’s remark about the portrayal of women in films. In an interview, the director shared his perspective on the debate around body representation in Bollywood and South Indian cinema. He also spoke about working with Taapsee and his past comment comparing her to Kangana Ranaut.Taapsee had earlier said that Bollywood is often “obsessed with cleavage” while South Indian cinema tends to focus on the midriff. Reacting to the comment, Anubhav said such portrayals are often shaped by what audiences find aspirational at a particular time.“Different film industries have certain body types that become aspirational for audiences at a particular time,” he told Siddharth Kannan. “What audiences see on screen is often shaped by what they find aspirational. That’s why certain body types dominate for a while before trends eventually change.”

‘Taapsee is a fantastic performer’

During the conversation, Anubhav was also asked about Taapsee’s claim that some male actors are reluctant to work with her despite her performances.Responding to this, the director said he cannot comment on the reasons behind such experiences. “I don’t know the exact reason. That’s her personal experience, and she would know better,” he said.Praising the actor, Anubhav added that Taapsee is a “fantastic performer” and pointed out that she has worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry. “One of the biggest stars in India has worked with her recently. So the situation is probably more complex than it appears,” he said.

‘I love her as a professional, actor and person’

Anubhav also spoke about his professional relationship with Taapsee, clarifying that the perception that they frequently collaborate is not entirely accurate.“Actually, the perception that we work together constantly isn’t correct,” he said. “After Mulk (2018), we worked again in Thappad (2020), and now again years later. I love her as a professional, as an actor and as a person.”

‘She’s not manipulative enough’

When asked if he relates to the way Taapsee speaks openly about issues, Anubhav said that she tends to be more straightforward than most people in the industry.“She’s not manipulative enough. I’m manipulative enough,” he said. “But I’m not afraid of the truth — I’m afraid of the manipulation of truth. So sometimes I choose not to participate in conversations where the truth may be twisted.”

On his past comment comparing Kangana and Taapsee

Anubhav was also asked about his earlier statement where he said Kangana Ranaut is a better actor than Taapsee and why he has never worked with her.Responding to this, the filmmaker said it simply came down to the lack of a suitable script. “I never had a script suitable for her,” he explained.He also noted that Kangana has been busy with other commitments in recent years. “In the past few years she has been active in politics and may have a different schedule. I’ve met her only once briefly,” he added.

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NEW DELHI: Facing a severe LNG (liquefied natural gas) crunch, govt on Monday invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to reallocate gas supply and slashed allocation for fertiliser and other industries, while seeking to ensure full availability for priority sectors such as domestic piped natural gas (PNG) for kitchens, compressed natural gas (CNG) for transport and LPG production.The decision came days after petroleum ministry insisted that supplies were comfortable, and it was seeking more flows from Canada and Australia amid outages in Qatar, the top source of LNG for India. Hours after the notification, PM Modi met petroleum minister Hardeep Puri and external affairs minister S Jaishankar for an assessment of the situation and its impact on energy flows.During a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Modi asked his colleagues to take stock of the situation in their respective ministries and interact with all stakeholders to ensure people do not suffer because of the conflict in West Asia.While fertiliser units, many of which are advancing shutdown, will be supplied 70% of their average consumption in the last six months, availability for industrial units will be 80% of the average for the last six months.

Govt in talks with several countries to import LNG through other routes

The notification added that the gas required to meet the needs of the priority sectors would be met through full or partial curtailment of gas supplied to petrochemical facilities and power plants, and by reducing gas allocation to refineries to 65% of their requirement.India imports nearly half of its natural gas requirements of around 190 million standard cubic metres per day (mscmd). More than 50% of the imported LNG comes from Qatar and the UAE through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively remained closed to vessel movement for nearly 10 days now. Officials said govt was in talks with several countries to import LNG through other routes, while refiners have made spot purchases to meet their requirements.Ministries such as shipping and road transport have held stakeholder consultations and are holding regular meetings to address concerns. Officials said inter-ministerial consultations were also taking place to ensure prices of essential commodities remained under control, considering that govt has enough buffer stock of rice, pulses and other items.

The fact that availability of PNG and CNG impacts millions of people in India has forced govt to invoke the Essential Commodities Act and categorise them as priority sectors along with LPG production to ensure there is no shortage of the fuel.Though the fuel is also used as feedstock for fertilisers, petrochemicals, tea industries, manufacturing and power generation, among others, the gazette notification considered it necessary to regulate production, sector-wise allocation and diversion of LNG supplies. The notification said this was done to ensure equitable distribution and continued availability of natural gas for priority sectors.GAIL (India), in coordination with Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, will manage the supplies of natural gas to implement the directives.

One of India’s most legendary cricketers and a former World Cup winner, Sunil Gavaskar, has marked a startling resemblance between Indian superstar Sanju Samson and West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards.

Sanju Samson helped India seal a victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Though everyone made their contributions, which made it a famous victory, had it not been for Samson, India would not have made it to the semi-finals and, secondly, would not have been able to put 250+ runs on the board in the semi-finals and the final.

This was something that Sir Viv Richards, one of the greatest ever cricketers in the world, had done for a long time for his national side. He not only won games for them but also made the opposition tremble out of fear whenever they saw him coming out with the willow.

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Reminiscent of Viv Richards at his powerful best-Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar praised Sanju Samson for his extraordinary outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He heaped praise on the Kerala star who helped India clinch their consecutive title in the shortest format of the game.

Talking about his explosive batting in the T20 World Cup, where he scored runs with a strike rate of 199.37, Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar that his strokeplay, especially the pull shot, reminded him of West Indian legend Vivian Richards.

“His pulling off the fierce pace of Jofra Archer was reminiscent of Viv Richards at his powerful best, though most of his batting is more like the Sri Lankan stylist Mahela Jayawardene,” noted Sunil Gavaskar.

Gavaskar praised Sanju Samson for playing quality cricketing shots in T20Is

Gavaskar continued, saying the purity of batting is not something in common with the modern batters, especially in the shortest format of the game, but Samson showed how runs can be scored through orthodox ways. This was quite similar to India’s very own Virat Kohli, though.

“Purity of batting is generally a virtue in the longest format of the game, Test match cricket, and occasionally in the 50-over game, but hardly ever in the ultra-short format of the game,” wrote Gavaskar.

“Samson provided that in all his three fifty-plus innings in playing classical cricket shots, along with some of the most imperious pulling and hooking seen in recent times,” he continued.

Both openers…justified the trust show- Sunil Gavaskar

India not only backed Sanju Samson by making him return to the Indian side, but also backed Abhishek Sharma despite the left-hander struggling with very poor form.

However, the southpaw returned to good form in the final and returned the faith with a quickfire half-century that gave India the perfect start with 98 runs off 43 balls for the first wicket.

“In the final, Abhishek Sharma came good with the quickest half-century in the T20 World Cup. Both the openers had, with their performances when it mattered most, justified the trust shown in them by the team’s brains trust,” said Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).

ALSO READ: Ex-India star launches brutal attack on Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir for mishandling Sanju Samson