(FE)
The Narendra Modi government’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), which has provided more than 3 crore liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to poor households over the last one and a half years, has had a multiplier effect on the manufacturers of equipment such as cylinders, pressure regulators, stoves and tubing — most of which fall in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) segment. The number of cylinder makers across the country in 2014-15 was 102, which has gone up to 146 in 2016-17 and this industry’s turnover has surged from Rs 3,491 crore to Rs 5,258 crore during the period. Similarly, the number of stove manufacturers has gone up from 39 to 45 and the corresponding increase in turnover has been from Rs 2,253 crore to Rs 2,728 crore.
Overall, the total turnover of companies manufacturing cylinders, pressure regulators, stoves and connecting tubes has increased by 42% between 2014-15 and 2016-17 from Rs 6,240 crore to Rs 8,858 crore. For the six months between April and September, 2017, the combined turnover of these industries stood at Rs 4,281 crore.
