‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Stock.
The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now being felt in India's households.
As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether.
Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments.
"The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a official of the a major restaurant body.
Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "Numerous restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."
City-Specific Fallout
In a financial hub, local news say up to a significant portion of eateries are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru.
Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers report a spike in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are running out of them.
Official Position
Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage.
India has more than 300 million household consumers and officials say stocks are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the hostilities.
The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to boost LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for essential sectors such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open".
"Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a senior official.
Widening Concern
Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads.
According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated.
India imports 90% of its crude oil. Around half of its oil purchases - 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 deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert.
Based on shipping data and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, lessening India's effective deficit 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, analysts say.
India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz.
Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.
In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Fuel availability remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying.
An industry representative alleges exploitative practices.
"Suppliers are exploiting the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium."
For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
