Rising fuel prices- Small is big: How the ‘Chhotu’ LPG cylinder became a bestseller

When popular shampoo brands started selling sachets, they managed to rope in a consumer with small pockets but big aspirations. Small soon became big in the FMCG industry, with everything from coffee to chips and shampoo to cream being sold in single-use packing costing not more than Rs 5, thus reaching buyers who could never afford the larger packs.

With fuel costs spiraling, the LPG cylinder has also taken on a ‘Chhotu’ 5-kg avatar that is more in demand than the standard 14.2 kg version. Even if the small cylinder costs a bit more, it makes sense for many who can’t shell out Rs 900 in one go but would prefer to commit Rs 500 for the small one instead.