🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Tightens India's LPG Availability. People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly a significant distance away are now being felt in India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments. "The state of affairs is alarming. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Numerous restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, media reports say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their fuel reserves have dwindled with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A eatery in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers note a surge in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and authorities say supplies are being prioritized to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. Roughly six out of ten of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now significantly disrupted by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for essential sectors such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "Some panic booking and accumulation has been sparked by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for home fuel remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads. India brings in up to a vast majority of the crude it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in worldwide shipments. According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated. India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall 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 India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Kitchen fuel stocks is the critical issue to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are taking advantage of the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by global trade flows. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a military engagement being fought nearly a significant distance away are now being felt in India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments. "The state of affairs is alarming. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Numerous restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, media reports say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their fuel reserves have dwindled with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A eatery in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers note a surge in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and authorities say supplies are being prioritized to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets. Roughly six out of ten of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now significantly disrupted by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being allocated for essential sectors such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "Some panic booking and accumulation has been sparked by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for home fuel remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads. India brings in up to a vast majority of the crude it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in worldwide shipments. According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated. India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall 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 India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Kitchen fuel stocks is the critical issue to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are taking advantage of the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by global trade flows. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.