The Montreal Protocol originally dealt with gases that damage the ozone layer. The Kigali Amendment, agreed at a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, extended it to HFCs, which do not harm ozone but are powerful greenhouse gases. India has ratified the amendment, so HFC consumption in the country is set to be capped and then reduced step by step.
Developing countries, including India, follow a later timetable than developed countries, and reductions are measured in CO2-equivalent terms, so high-GWP gases such as R404A are the first that manufacturers and users move away from. Low-GWP options like R290, R600a and CO2 are not restricted by the phase-down.
For a commercial kitchen or shop, the effect is gradual rather than sudden. Existing equipment can keep running and be serviced. Over time, though, high-GWP refrigerants are likely to become more expensive and less readily stocked, while technician training and spare parts shift towards the newer gases.