Imagine you’re halfway through cooking dinner when your LPG cylinder suddenly runs out. Until recently, replacing it was a minor inconvenience. But amid supply shortages, rising LPG prices, and evolving regulations amidst the shortages even a routine refill has become a challenge for many households. However things are a out to change now.
Online grocery delivery platform, InstaMart, has recently partnered with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited to launch India’s first on-demand LPG cylinder delivery service. The new service helps customers order an LPG cylinder through the InstaMart app and get it delivered in as little as 10 minutes.Well, you might be wondering how would InstaMart be authorized to deliver those regularized 14 kilograms of domestic cylinder that has been provided by the government. Well, you are right to ponder on that. However, it’s not the regularized 14 kilograms that you are thinking. It is the HP Navya, HPCL’s brand new 10 kg composite LPG cylinder.
A cylinder that has been designed for modern homes, lighter than traditional cylinders making it easier to carry. The rust-resistant cylinder not only lasts longer but is also made with extra safety features. The best feature, perhaps, is its transparent body that allows you to check how much gas is left inside the cylinder, even without guessing it, unlike the traditional cylinders.
The service is first being rolled in Bengaluru, where the customers can order either the 10 kg HP Navya composite cylinder or the 5 kg metal LPG cylinder, directly through the application. While the platform already deliver groceries, medicines, electronics, and daily essentials in minutes, LPG cylinders is a new addition to its e-commerce portfolio. Unlike conventional domestic LPG connections, customers do not need an existing household LPG connection to purchase these cylinders. This makes them particularly useful for students, working professionals living in rented accommodation, small families, or even larger households that unexpectedly run out of cooking gas while hosting guests.
The purchase process is very simple. Just open the app just like you do for ordering groceries, select the cylinder you want, add it in your cart, and place the order. However, if you’re buying the cylinder for the first time, you’re order will be placed only after ID verification. For future orders, you simply add to cart, place an order, hand over the empty cylinders when the new one arrives, and it will be treated as a refill. Every order is fulfilled through HPCL’s authorized distributors and delivered by trained personnel following all safety and regulatory guidelines.
This latest move by Swiggy, the parent company of Instamart, could provide much-needed relief at a time when procuring a refilled LPG cylinder has become increasingly difficult due to supply constraints and rising demand. By enabling quick access to smaller LPG cylinders without requiring a conventional domestic connection, the service offers a convenient backup for households, students, and renters who may otherwise face disruptions to their daily cooking need.