🔗 Share this article ‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People queue up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is flooded by video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have ceased operations - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In a western metro, media reports say up to a fifth of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their fuel reserves have depleted with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a scarcity of LPG. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and authorities say supplies are being prioritized to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the text reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the petroleum it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in international markets. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Gulf countries. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The key weakness is LPG, commentators observe. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint. Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be partially mitigated through diversification. Fuel availability remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative alleges opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off." For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People queue up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is flooded by video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have ceased operations - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In a western metro, media reports say up to a fifth of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their fuel reserves have depleted with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a scarcity of LPG. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and authorities say supplies are being prioritized to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the text reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the petroleum it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in international markets. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Gulf countries. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The key weakness is LPG, commentators observe. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint. Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be partially mitigated through diversification. Fuel availability remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative alleges opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off." For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.