India’s LPG supply crunch, triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, has begun disrupting operations at major IT campuses, forcing companies to scale back cafeteria services and ask employees to bring food from home.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has advised employees at some offices to carry their own meals as canteen vendors struggle with reduced supplies of commercial cooking gas. According to The Indian Express, staff at the company’s Commerce Zone campus in Yerawada, Pune, were informed earlier this month that menu options would be limited because of LPG shortages affecting food court operations.
One employee told the publication that only basic meals such as dal and rice were available in the cafeteria, with staff encouraged to bring tiffins until supplies stabilise.
The disruption comes days after Infosys issued a similar advisory at its Pune campus, asking employees to carry food from home and avoid planning events that require catering. The company cited reduced LPG supply to food vendors, which limited their ability to operate kitchens at full capacity.
IT campuses begin scaling back food services
The LPG shortage has also affected other large IT employers.
At TCS’s International Tech Park (ITPL) campus in Whitefield, Bengaluru, employees were reportedly asked to bring food from home as cafeteria vendors reduced cooking operations due to limited gas supply.
Meanwhile, employees said canteen menus have been sharply reduced at Cognizant and Wipro campuses in Pune.
At Cognizant’s Pune office, live counters serving dishes such as South Indian meals, pulao and pav bhaji have been suspended. Employees told The Indian Express that the cafeteria is currently serving only a basic rice plate option while the company monitors the supply situation.
Similarly, at Wipro’s Hinjewadi campus, live counters serving fast food and Chinese dishes have been temporarily shut, with cafeterias now serving limited meal options.
West Asia conflict drives fuel disruption
The LPG shortage affecting corporate campuses is linked to broader supply disruptions following escalating tensions in West Asia, which have affected global energy logistics and triggered precautionary stockpiling in parts of India.
The impact is now visible across multiple sectors. Reports indicate that restaurants in major cities have reduced menu options, while educational institutions such as IIT Bombay have simplified hostel mess menus to conserve cooking gas.
Large technology campuses, which serve thousands of employees daily, rely heavily on commercial LPG for food preparation. Any disruption in supply can therefore quickly affect cafeteria operations.
Employees feel the strain
For many IT workers, particularly those living in hostels or paying guest accommodation, the shortage has created practical difficulties.
One employee in Bengaluru told The Indian Express that workers who rely on office cafeterias are struggling to find affordable alternatives as nearby eateries are also reducing operations because of gas shortages.
“With the office asking us to work from the office five days a week, the lack of food options on campus has made things difficult,” the employee said.
Labour groups say the situation could affect a significant number of workers. Pavanjit Mane, president of the Forum for IT Employees Maharashtra, told The Indian Express that between two and three lakh IT employees in Pune’s technology corridors depend heavily on office cafeterias or nearby eateries.
He added that companies may need to consider temporary work-from-home arrangements if the LPG shortage continues.
Companies weigh temporary measures
Some firms have already begun exploring operational adjustments.
According to reports in Indian media outlets, companies are considering steps such as reducing menu complexity, limiting live cooking counters and exploring alternative food vendors that rely less on LPG.
Industry observers say the episode illustrates how global geopolitical disruptions can ripple quickly into everyday workplace operations, particularly in sectors that depend on large-scale campus infrastructure.
For now, companies appear to be treating the changes as temporary measures. Corporate cafeterias are expected to restore normal operations once LPG supply stabilises.
Until then, thousands of employees across India’s technology hubs may need to bring their own meals to work — a rare disruption in the tightly organised routines of large IT campuses.