Ready-to-eat food demand surges amid LPG shortage

Metro India News | NEW DELHI :

E-commerce giant Amazon India has reported a sharp rise in demand for ready-to-eat and packaged food items, with categories like instant noodles, snacks, packaged meals, and beverages witnessing over 15 per cent growth amid the ongoing LPG shortage.

The increase in demand is not confined to metros but extends to tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Sonipat and Panaji, reflecting a widespread shift towards convenience-based meal solutions. Amazon India highlighted that customers are increasingly seeking foods that require minimal cooking time.

The company’s quick commerce platform, Amazon Now, has seen a month-on-month sales jump of around 20 per cent, particularly in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, as consumers increasingly rely on rapid deliveries for immediate needs. At the same time, planned grocery purchases continue to show strong traction, with staples, oils, dry fruits, nuts, and beverages maintaining steady demand, indicating a balanced approach by consumers toward both convenience and essentials.

To cater to this dual demand, Amazon India launched a dedicated ‘Ready to Eat Store,’ bringing together a wide range of high-quality meal solutions.

The surge in ready-to-eat food demand comes as India faces an LPG supply crunch, with consumption dropping 17.7 per cent in the first half of March due to disruptions caused by the war in West Asia. LPG consumption fell to 1.147 million tonnes in the first fortnight, down from 1.387 million tonnes in the same period last year. To ease pressure, the central government announced increased LPG supplies to states that expedite piped gas rollout. Refineries have also been asked to boost domestic output, prioritising household kitchens. Commercial LPG use in hotels and restaurants, initially curtailed, has now been restored to one-fifth of normal consumption.