🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Supplies. People line up to buy cooking gas cylinders for domestic use in an urban center. The shockwaves of a military engagement 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 shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply cannot be found," says a representative of the an industry group. Most food outlets run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are adopting solid fuels and induction stoves to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, accounts say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has ceased operations due to a shortage of cooking gas. Restaurant owners 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 shutdowns are varying as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers observe a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Roughly 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict. The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a ministry representative. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is extending 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 description reads. India sources up to 90% of the crude it consumes, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in global supplies. According to reports from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around a significant portion 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 blocked, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and credible market sources, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The real vulnerability is cooking gas, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be partially mitigated through varied suppliers. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of hoarding. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium." For now, India's energy imports may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.
People line up to buy cooking gas cylinders for domestic use in an urban center. The shockwaves of a military engagement 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 shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply cannot be found," says a representative of the an industry group. Most food outlets run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are adopting solid fuels and induction stoves to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, accounts say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has ceased operations due to a shortage of cooking gas. Restaurant owners 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 shutdowns are varying as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers observe a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Roughly 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict. The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a ministry representative. Spreading Anxiety Now the anxiety is extending 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 description reads. India sources up to 90% of the crude it consumes, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in global supplies. According to reports from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around a significant portion 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 blocked, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and credible market sources, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The real vulnerability is cooking gas, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be partially mitigated through varied suppliers. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of hoarding. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium." For now, India's energy imports may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.