Gujarat factory owners have asked migrant workers to pack up and leave for their hometowns. This follows the cooking gas shortage, coupled with less demand for exports. From Morbi to Surat, the situation of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa is serious. While in most cases the factory owners have asked the workers to leave, some workers are leaving on their own as they are unable procure cooking gas cylinders.A textile factory owner said he has asked 22 of his workers to leave for Orissa. “The local administration has asked us not to speak and give the semblance that all is okay. But the situation is bad. In the first few days, I managed gas cylinders at a premium, but now our migrant workers could not cook food for three days. There is no work, there is no demand, so I asked them to go home”, he said. The last time Gujarat’s factory owners saw workers pack up and leave en masse was during the Covid outbreak in 2020. Factories fell silent for months, and it took even longer to bring workers back. Now, in 2026, the fear is returning.A sharp cut in industrial gas supply, a fallout of the war in West Asia, has begun squeezing production across Gujarat’s biggest manufacturing hubs.India’s largest man-made fabric hub has lost workers in recent weeks. Production isn’t hurt yet due to low demand, but if workers leave now, the industry could struggle when orders rise after this lean season. Vibes of India has already reported about war’s impact on the ceramic industry of Morbi and the diamond industry.In Surat, the immediate concern is cooking gas rather than industrial gas. LPG is selling for approximately Rs 500 per kilogram. Some workers are requesting additional financial support to manage expenses, while others are returning home. Manoj Kumar from Bihar said, “For how many more days can we go hungry? We have no option but to leave”. He said they don’t know when he will return.The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Gujarat Weavers Welfare Association have asked the government for urgent support with cooking gas and suggested linking its provision to Aadhaar cards to simplify access for workers. This request highlights a persistent issue: migrant workers lacking local documentation face difficulties accessing subsidised gas through normal channels, making them vulnerable during supply disruptions.Analysts have stated that, if left unaddressed, the situation could lead to increased reverse migration, posing challenges for Surat’s textiles, diamond and other industries reliant on migrant labour.Ceramics, chemicals, textiles and plastics have been hit hardest across Morbi, Surat and Ahmedabad. Several units have scaled down or shut temporarily, leading migrant workers to head home.Industry observers believe the current pattern is similar to what happened during the pandemic in 2020. They warn that once workers leave, it will become very difficult to bring them back especially because other states are also creating industrial jobs. Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have all stepped up industrial investment in recent years, giving returning migrants reasons to stay closer to home.Gujarat’s industry depends on migrant labour from Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Even modest reverse migration triggers employer anxiety.Ahmedabad, feeling the heatConcerns have also emerged in the chemical hubs of Vatva and Naroda. A report indicated that gas supply at regular prices has decreased to around 40% of actual requirements. Key chemical feedstocks, ammonia and methanol, are also running short. Units are operating at reduced capacity, the report said. Many SMEs have closed temporarily or reduced shifts. Owners note they are using reserves while seeking information on future supply timelines.With fewer shifts available, many of Ahmedabad’s chemical workers have no work. If gas shortage continues, the current situation could turn into a deeper structural problem for Ahmedabad, industry bodies have warned.The challenges extend beyond the factory. LPG has become scarce and more expensive.A rise in black-marketeering has increased cylinder costs, impacting low-income families. Some workers are leaving due to both employment and affordability challenges. Workers in shared accommodations are rationing cooking gas and some have chosen to eat out to manage expenses, adding pressure to already limited wages.Construction in Ahmedabad is also under strain. It is common knowledge that most of the construction workers in the city are migrants. Many said that a bulk of them have not returned since Holi. Industry leaders say the labour shortage here is not a direct result of the war but a combination of the festival break in March and the ongoing uncertainty the conflict has created.Experts observed that the shortage of construction materials is also contributing to project delays. Developers are trying to retain workers by improving accommodation and facilities, but project timelines may remain affected until the full workforce returns. For developers with delivery commitments, the combination of material shortages and reduced staff presents a significant challenge.Morbi, running out of gasMorbi is one of Gujarat’s most labour-intensive industrial clusters. It employs around 4 lakh workers, most of them migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand.Nearly 60% of Morbi units depend on propane, the supply of which has been severely disrupted. The rest, running on Gujarat Gas, receive only 80% of their average consumption need.Industries are continuing to pay wages and assigning workers to maintenance, material handling and dispatch tasks in the hope that conditions will improve. However, industry sources acknowledge that this situation may not be sustainable if financial pressures escalate.Sanitary-ware units remain operational and some industry leaders have expressed cautious optimism that the situation could improve within a month.The combined crises of cooking gas, industrial shortages and high living costs is pushing workers to make the same decision as during the pandemic: leave and wait at home. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has reportedly asked factory owners not to speak out or face the media on this issue. Except Congress and Aam Aadmi Party politicians, who blame the BJP for ruining Iran-India relationship, no other officer or elected BJP representatives are ready to talk on the issue. They have claimed that this is AAP and Congress propaganda and that everything is normal.This article was originally published on Vibes Of India.