🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: Conflict on Iran Tightens India's Cooking-Gas Supplies. People wait in lines to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in Chennai. The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes. As military actions on Iran hinder energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, supplies of cooking gas are dwindling across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in commercial eateries. "The situation is dire. LPG simply cannot be found," says a representative of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In a financial hub, accounts say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their gas stocks have depleted with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A restaurant in a southern city which has shut down due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies ebb and flow. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers note a increase in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Official Position Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and spokespersons say stocks are being redirected to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the war. The petroleum ministry says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been triggered by false reports. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a fuel station. "Concern is genuine," the text reads. India imports up to 90% of the crude it requires, leaving it highly exposed to interruptions in international markets. According to data 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 crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a sector expert. Based on shipping data and industry information, additional 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. "A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Processed petroleum stocks remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of hoarding. An industry representative states price gouging. "Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People wait in lines to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in Chennai. The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes. As military actions on Iran hinder energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, supplies of cooking gas are dwindling across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in commercial eateries. "The situation is dire. LPG simply cannot be found," says a representative of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In a financial hub, accounts say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their gas stocks have depleted with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A restaurant in a southern city which has shut down due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies ebb and flow. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers note a increase in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Official Position Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and spokespersons say stocks are being redirected to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the war. The petroleum ministry says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been triggered by false reports. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a fuel station. "Concern is genuine," the text reads. India imports up to 90% of the crude it requires, leaving it highly exposed to interruptions in international markets. According to data 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 crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a sector expert. Based on shipping data and industry information, additional 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. "A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Processed petroleum stocks remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of hoarding. An industry representative states price gouging. "Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.