🔗 Share this article ‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Conflict on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now reaching India's households. As military actions on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies spread. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group. Most food outlets run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the shortages are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep kitchens going." Regional Impact In a financial hub, media reports say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner 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 dynamic scenario." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the government states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the war. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The regular refill period for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the text reads. India sources up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in international markets. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The key weakness is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Retailers are misusing 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 oil supplies may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now reaching India's households. As military actions on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies spread. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group. Most food outlets run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the shortages are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep kitchens going." Regional Impact In a financial hub, media reports say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner 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 dynamic scenario." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the government states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the war. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The regular refill period for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the text reads. India sources up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in international markets. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The key weakness is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Retailers are misusing 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 oil supplies may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next cylinder.