Ludhiana: Unscheduled power outages and voltage fluctuations are severely impacting manufacturers in Punjab's industrial heartland, leading to wasted raw materials, idle workers, and undermining the 'Make in India' and 'Invest Punjab' initiatives, according to local business leaders.
During every sudden blackout, Harjit Singh, who operates a micro-fasteners unit on Gill Road, loses approximately ₹3,000 due to spoiled materials, tool resets, and overhead costs. Losses multiply for larger operations across industrial hubs such as Focal Points, Industrial Areas, Bahadarke Road, and Gill Road.
Industry leaders demand reliable power supply
Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations, emphasized that electricity is the basic raw material for industries today. Sudden cuts and tripping halt everything, he said, calling for uninterrupted supply as a lifeline, especially amid existing economic pressures.
Forging units suffer from abrupt stoppages
Kulvinder Singh Benipal, president of the Focal Point Welfare Association, described how forging units suffer from unusable partially processed material due to abrupt machine stoppages. Almost-daily unscheduled cuts make it impossible to maintain schedules, he added.
Plastic manufacturers also affected
Plastic manufacturer Mukesh Marjara on Bahadarke Road highlighted that frequent tripping, even without declared outages, has ruined loaded raw plastic. Transformers of inadequate capacity cannot handle the industrial power load, he said, blaming weak infrastructure.
Industry groups urged the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited to upgrade transformers, bolster distribution networks, and stabilize voltage to curb productivity losses and ensure operational efficiency.
