🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Tightens India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's kitchens. As military actions on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply is unavailable," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In Mumbai, media reports say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their gas stocks have shrunk with little backup. "We can only make coffee and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A eatery in a southern city which has shut down due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million household consumers and spokespersons say cylinders are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now largely blocked by the war. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Business-grade fuel is being prioritised for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been caused by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a government spokesperson. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India imports up to a vast majority of the oil it consumes, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. 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 shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "A large quantity 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. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The key weakness is kitchen fuel, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only raise domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of panic buying. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Suppliers are misusing the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's oil supplies may be protected by global trade flows. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's kitchens. As military actions on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply is unavailable," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In Mumbai, media reports say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their gas stocks have shrunk with little backup. "We can only make coffee and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A eatery in a southern city which has shut down due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million household consumers and spokespersons say cylinders are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now largely blocked by the war. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Business-grade fuel is being prioritised for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been caused by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a government spokesperson. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India imports up to a vast majority of the oil it consumes, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. 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 shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "A large quantity 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. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The key weakness is kitchen fuel, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only raise domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of panic buying. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Suppliers are misusing the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's oil supplies may be protected by global trade flows. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.