Ludhiana: Unscheduled power outages and voltage fluctuations are hammering manufacturers in Punjab’s industrial heartland, wasting raw materials, idling workers, and undermining “Make in India” and “Invest Punjab” initiatives, local business leaders say.In every sudden blackout, Harjit Singh, who runs a micro-fasteners unit on Gill Road, loses about ₹3,000 from spoiled materials, tool resets, and overheads. Losses multiply for larger operations across hubs like Focal Points, Industrial Areas, Bahadarke Road and Gill Road.“Electricity is the basic raw material for industries today, but sudden cuts and tripping halt everything,” said Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations. He called for uninterrupted supply as a “lifeline”, especially amid existing economic pressures.Kulvinder Singh Benipal, president of the Focal Point Welfare Association, describes how the forging units suffer unusable partially processed material from abrupt machine stoppages. “Almost-daily unscheduled cuts make it impossible to maintain schedules,” he added.Plastic manufacturer Mukesh Marjara on Bahadarke Road highlighted how frequent tripping — even without declared outages — has ruined loaded raw plastic. “Transformers of inadequate capacity can’t 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 stabilise voltage to curb productivity losses and ensure operational efficiency.
