🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: Conflict on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Stock. People queue up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The ripple effects of a military engagement being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is filled with video clips showing crowds outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the an industry group. Most restaurants 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 southern region. People are adopting solid fuels and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, local news say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the government maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets. Approximately 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been triggered by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India sources up to most of the crude it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to disruptions in worldwide shipments. According to reports from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated. India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on maritime intelligence and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is kitchen fuel, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "Retailers 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 to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.
People queue up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in a major Indian city. The ripple effects of a military engagement being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is filled with video clips showing crowds outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the an industry group. Most restaurants 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 southern region. People are adopting solid fuels and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, local news say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the government maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets. Approximately 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been triggered by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India sources up to most of the crude it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to disruptions in worldwide shipments. According to reports from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated. India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on maritime intelligence and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is kitchen fuel, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "Retailers 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 to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.