Mobile Commercial LPG Refill Service for Restaurants
The Opportunity
Restaurants across India face acute commercial cooking gas shortages with long queues at distribution centers and stock depletion in 2-7 days. Hotels and restaurants are forced to shut operations or limit menus, losing revenue during peak tourist seasons and weddings. A mobile refill service eliminates travel time and queue bottlenecks for restaurant owners.
Market Size
₹8,000-12,000 crore estimated annual commercial LPG market in India; restaurants represent ₹2,500+ crore segment. Over 250,000 registered restaurants/hotels nationwide with 40-50% affected during shortage cycles.
Business Model
Mobile commercial LPG cylinder refill and swap service. Partner with authorized LPG distributors to obtain refill allocations. Deploy fleet of vehicles with safety-certified equipment to deliver and swap cylinders at restaurant premises on-demand. Charge ₹100-150 premium per refill + subscription model (₹5,000/month for guaranteed weekly delivery).
Per-refill charges (₹100-150 × 300 refills/month = ₹30,000-45,000); subscription fees from high-volume clients (₹5,000 × 50 clients = ₹2,50,000/month); emergency premium refills (₹250 surcharge).
Your 30-Day Action Plan
Identify and contact 5-10 authorized LPG distributors in target city (Mumbai/Bengaluru) to negotiate cylinder allocation and refill pricing partnerships.
Survey 30-40 restaurants to validate willingness-to-pay premium (₹100-150/refill) and subscription pricing (₹5,000/month); document pain points.
Obtain Commercial LPG Dealer license, transport permit, and safety certification (IOCL/BPCL standards); build basic mobile app or WhatsApp booking system.
Pilot with 10 restaurants: recruit 2 trained delivery personnel, acquire 30-40 certified cylinders, execute first 50 refills, document NPS and repeat rates.
Compliance & Regulatory Angle
IOCL/BPCL Commercial LPG Dealer license required; MeitY transport permit for vehicles; DGMS safety certification for cylinder handling; GST 5% on services; PUC and insurance for fleet; staff training certification for LPG handling per government standards.
Ready to Act on This Opportunity?
Generate a 7-step execution plan — validate the market, build the MVP, model the financials, map the risks, and ship in 30 days.