The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder in Kolkata has increased by about Rs 17 from Sunday, November 1, taking the new price to Rs 2,971, according to a report by Anandabazar. The increase is the third consecutive monthly rise in commercial cooking gas prices, adding to operating costs for restaurants, hotels and other food-service businesses during the festival season.
The price of a domestic 14.2-kg LPG cylinder has not changed. It continues to be available in Kolkata at Rs 968, the report said. The separate pricing of commercial and domestic cylinders means the latest increase directly affects commercial users while leaving the listed household cylinder price unchanged.
Commercial LPG prices had already risen in September and October. The September increase was about Rs 10, followed by a much larger rise of Rs 70 in October, which coincided with the Durga Puja period in West Bengal. The latest increase takes place ahead of Kali Puja, extending a three-month run of higher commercial cylinder prices.
Commercial cylinders are widely used by hotels, restaurants, eateries and other businesses that prepare food at scale. For these establishments, cooking fuel is part of the operating cost of every kitchen. A sustained rise in the price of commercial LPG can therefore increase pressure on food-service margins and contribute to higher costs for customers, although the report did not specify how individual businesses would revise their menu prices.
The increase is not limited to Kolkata. In Delhi, the price of a 19-kg commercial cylinder has risen by Rs 10 to Rs 2,820, while the new price in Mumbai is Rs 2,764.50. In Chennai, the cylinder is now priced at Rs 2,994.50. The figures show that commercial LPG prices differ across major cities, even as the direction of change is similar.
The latest increase comes alongside a rise in aviation turbine fuel prices. Aviation fuel has become Rs 1.37 more expensive per litre, taking its price to Rs 138.50, according to the report. It had previously increased by Rs 6.28 on September 1 and by a further Rs 16 on October 1.
For urban households, the commercial LPG increase may not appear directly on the monthly domestic gas bill. Its effect can instead emerge through the prices of meals, catering and other services that depend on commercial kitchens. The revised commercial cylinder price is effective from November 1, while the domestic LPG price remains unchanged at Rs 968 in Kolkata.
