‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Supplies.
The shockwaves of a military engagement being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's households.
As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.
Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Restaurant kitchens appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries.
"Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," 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 northern India, many in the southern states. People are adopting coal and wood and electric cookers to keep their operations going."
Regional Impact
In a financial hub, media reports say up to a fifth of eateries are already operating at reduced capacity as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their gas stocks have depleted with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape."
Retailers note a increase in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Authority's View
Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock.
India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and officials say supplies are being prioritized to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities affect energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict.
The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"Some panic booking and accumulation has been sparked by false reports. The normal delivery cycle for home fuel remains about 60 hours," says a senior official.
Growing Panic
Now the concern is extending beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads.
According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature.
India imports 90% of its petroleum. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Middle Eastern nations.
Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator.
Based on maritime intelligence and credible market sources, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"Around 25-30 million 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted.
LPG: The Real Vulnerability
The key weakness is LPG, analysts say.
India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz.
Refineries can adjust processes to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling.
An industry representative alleges opportunistic profiteering.
"Suppliers are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder."
For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
