🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: Conflict on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The shockwaves of a military engagement being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a official of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep kitchens going." Localized Effects In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of LPG. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Official Position Yet, the officials states there is adequate supply. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now effectively closed by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being prioritised for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by false reports. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Widening Concern Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the text reads. India imports up to 90% of the oil it uses, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is kitchen fuel, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just limited availability but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The shockwaves of a military engagement being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a official of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep kitchens going." Localized Effects In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of LPG. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Official Position Yet, the officials states there is adequate supply. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now effectively closed by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being prioritised for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by false reports. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Widening Concern Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the text reads. India imports up to 90% of the oil it uses, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is kitchen fuel, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just limited availability but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.