"Bring Your Own Lunch Box": Infosys IT Employees Face Canteen Disruption Amid Gas Shortage

Infosys Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune canteens face disruption due to a commercial gas shortage. Employees have been advised to “bring your own lunch box” as live counters are shut and external catering is insufficient to meet demand.

The effects of ongoing global conflicts are now reaching places you would not normally expect, such as office canteens. The impact of wars abroad is no longer confined to fuel prices or stock markets; it is increasingly affecting daily life in ways that directly affect millions of people. In India, one of the country’s largest IT giants, Infosys, is the latest to face this challenge as its employees deal with an unexpected problem: scarcity of commercial cooking gas at its campuses.

No Gas in Canteens; Live Counters Shut

Canteens at Infosys campuses in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune have reportedly run out of gas cylinders, causing significant disruption for the food courts in these tech parks. The shortage has forced the company to temporarily shut down its ‘live counters’, which are stalls that serve hot, freshly prepared meals to employees. Sources indicate that global supply chain disruptions caused by ongoing conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, have severely affected the availability of commercial gas in India.

New Guidelines Issued From March 12

In response to the urgent situation, Infosys sent an official communication to all its employees. Effective from March 12, the company has limited the menu at its canteens to only a few high-demand items. Employees have been asked to cooperate and adapt to this temporary arrangement until the gas supply situation improves.

Please Bring Your Own Lunch Box

With the canteens unable to prepare a full range of meals, Infosys has advised staff to bring lunch boxes from home. For those unable to do so, ordering food from outside has been suggested as an alternative. This adjustment adds an extra layer of responsibility for IT employees, who are already managing demanding workdays.

External Catering Not Enough

To address the shortage, the company has arranged for cooked food from external caterers. However, given the size of the campuses and the thousands of employees, this external supply is insufficient to meet everyone’s needs. Concerns about food freshness have also led many employees to prefer arranging their own meals temporarily.

How Global Conflicts Affect IT Companies?

International conflicts, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war, have disrupted oil and gas supplies worldwide, leading to both price increases and shortages in natural gas and LPG. The effects are now being felt in India’s IT hubs, with companies such as Infosys facing operational challenges that go beyond business concerns to affect basic employee needs. For now, the humble lunch box from home remains the most reliable option for staff until the commercial gas supply stabilises.