LPG crisis squeezes Mumbai bakers: ‘How do we make ladi pav without gas?’

“Those of us who changed their diesel-fuelled ovens to gas even changed the burner back again to be able to run on diesel,” said Tariq Hussain, who owns decades-old New Kirmani Bakery in Mahim.

The crisis has also impacted the production of ladi pav – a staple in Mumbai’s culinary landscape.
The versatile bread has evolved to become an indispensable part of the city’s food culture, often served as an accompaniment to dishes like egg bhurji, keema, misal, pav bhaji and the iconic vada pav.

Tariq Hussain, who owns decades-old New Kirmani Bakery in Mahim, shares that around 500 bakeries make ladi pav exclusively, churning out between 16,000 and 18,000 ladis each — every ladi carrying six pavs. Photo/Special Arrangement

The numbers give a sense of the scale

Hussain estimates that across the city, roughly one crore ladi pavs are produced every day. Around 500 bakeries make ladi pav exclusively, churning out between 16,000 and 18,000 ladis each — every ladi carrying six pavs. “How do we manage without gas?” he asked.

The downstream impact is already visible. Ansari noted that the primary buyers of ladi pav — vendors making vada pav and pav bhaji — have begun shutting their roadside stalls. The shelves of Mumbai’s most democratic food supply chain are quietly thinning.

Bakeries that have managed to source cylinders on the black market are paying upwards of Rs 4,000 per cylinder, and even then availability is uncertain.

Those who cannot or will not buy black market gas have had to make harder choices. MK Bakery and MS Bakery in Goregaon, Rajdhani Bakery in Bhayandar, City Light Bakery in Andheri East, Noor in Sion, and Sai Nand Bakery have all shut temporarily, said Ansari and Hussain.
For those still operating, production has been cut sharply. Ansari said most bakeries are currently running at 50 per cent capacity.

“Sirf time pass ho raha hai ab (we are merely passing time),” said a frustrated Riyasat Sheikh, who has been with Fort’s iconic Yazdani Bakery since 1984 and now mans the cash counter.
He added that the ongoing LPG crisis has severely hit production. “We are selling just 60–70 ladi pavs a day, down from over 200 earlier.”

A file photo of Omaish Siddique, owner of New Edward Bakery, Fort, Mumbai. Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee

At 118-year-old American Express Bakery, the baking of products which relies on electric and diesel-run ovens has not been impacted but they have cut down production of puffs and sandwiches, the fillings for which need gas cylinders. “We are getting one cylinder in 20-25 days, which is not enough for us. We have stopped taking bulk walk-in orders and cut down production by about 30 per cent,” said Yohann Carvalho. When asked if they are planning to increase prices of their products, he said that breads and other items would remain as it is but “we will have to increase the prices of puffs and sandwiches by about 10-15 per cent. The new prices may come into effect from May 15 or the end of May.”

Omaish Siddique of New Edward Bakery in Fort has been slightly more fortunate — cylinders began arriving last week. He has purchased an electric oven to supplement production but is managing only 60 to 70 per cent of normal output. At his retail counter, prices have already moved. The ladi pav that sold for Rs 12 now costs Rs 15.

When asked why there is no visible shortage of ladi pav if everybody has rationed the production, Siddique offered an explanation: “Some bakers had shut their wood-fired bhattis last year but had not demolished them. When the crisis began, they quietly reopened the old ovens and resumed production, running surplus and supplying to those whose output had fallen. The BMC is not bothering them,” he said, “They understand the shortage.”

The humble ladi pav is an indispensable part of the city’s food culture, often served as an accompaniment to dishes like egg bhurji, keema, misal, pav bhaji and the iconic vada pav. Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee

In Goregaon East, Sai Nath Bakery — recently renamed Azad Bakery — has been shut for ten to fifteen days. Owner Sawkeen Sheikh had demolished his wood-fired oven when he switched to gas. There is no going back. To keep some income coming in, he is now buying 400 to 500 ladis from bakeries that still have wood-fired ovens and reselling them. “We used to make 1,500 ladis ourselves,” he said.

The government is stressing that everybody gets a pipeline gas. But Hussain said that even though they want a gas pipeline and MGL even collected a Rs 10,000 deposit from bakery owners months ago, nothing has materialised. “They keep giving excuses, sometimes it’s rain, on other days, it is road construction, long distance, etc.”

The association is now preparing to meet Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Their demands are – wood-fired and diesel ovens should be permitted temporarily until the situation improves; electricity rates should not increase with higher usage; and gas should be made available to bakeries even if rationed, on par with how restaurants are being supplied.