🔗 Share this article ‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Conflict on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People queue up to buy LPG tanks for household consumption in a major Indian city. The repercussions of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are switching to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their gas stocks have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a changing landscape." Retailers note a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the government insists there is sufficient stock. India has more than 300 million household consumers and officials say stocks are being reallocated to households as tensions from the regional hostilities affect energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the conflict. The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Widening Concern Now the concern is extending beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the caption reads. India sources up to most of the crude it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruptions in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator. Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective deficit 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can tweak operations to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Fuel availability remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters 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 cushioned by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People queue up to buy LPG tanks for household consumption in a major Indian city. The repercussions of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are switching to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their gas stocks have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a changing landscape." Retailers note a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the government insists there is sufficient stock. India has more than 300 million household consumers and officials say stocks are being reallocated to households as tensions from the regional hostilities affect energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the conflict. The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Widening Concern Now the concern is extending beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the caption reads. India sources up to most of the crude it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruptions in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator. Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective deficit 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can tweak operations to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Fuel availability remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters 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 cushioned by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.