But a growing LPG shortage, triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict, is now forcing a rethink. Many corporate cafeterias across Pune, Bengaluru, and other cities have either reduced services to bare minimums or shut down completely, leaving employees scrambling for alternatives.
Major IT Firms Cut Down Canteen Services
Infosys led the wave last week when its Pune canteen committee advised employees to "carry their own tiffins," citing limited gas supplies for food court vendors. Staff were also asked to avoid campus events requiring catering. Following suit, TCS reduced services at its Pune Commerce Zone campus, offering only dal-rice through the week. Bengaluru’s ITPL Whitefield campus requested employees to bring packed lunches, with canteen options shrinking to just lemon rice and sandwiches.
Cognizant Pune saw closures of live counters serving South Indian dishes, pulao, and pav bhaji, leaving only basic rice plates. Wipro’s Hinjewadi campus similarly stopped fast food and Chinese counters, maintaining only rice plates while vendors struggled with the "LPG crunch," according to Business Today.
Employees Feel the Strain
The impact is felt most by employees without the option to cook at home. Bengaluru staff, under TCS’s five-day office mandate, are reportedly pleading for hybrid work options amid food shortages. Even PGs and hostels have slashed their menus to dal-rice or closed kitchens entirely.
Pavanjit Mane, President of the Forum for IT Employees Maharashtra, highlighted the severity, noting that 2–3 lakh IT workers in Pune, many from other states, rely fully on canteens or nearby eateries—now affected by domestic LPG shortages as well. He urged firms to consider allowing employees to "work from hometown" until supplies stabilize.
As IT employees adapt to packing lunches like schoolchildren, the crisis underscores how geopolitical events can ripple into everyday life, disrupting routines that were once taken for granted.
