‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's LPG Stock.
The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's kitchens.
As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether.
Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian cities and towns as anxieties over fuel supplies spread. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments.
"The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a official of the a major restaurant body.
Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the scarcities 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 electronic appliances to keep food preparation going."
Regional Impact
In a financial hub, local news say up to a fifth of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying 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 spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly.
Government Stance
Yet, the officials insists there is adequate supply.
India has more than 300 million domestic LPG users and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets.
Roughly a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the conflict.
The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Business-grade fuel is being prioritised for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"Some panic booking and accumulation has been triggered by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a ministry representative.
Growing Panic
Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the caption reads.
According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated.
India imports almost all of its oil. Around a significant portion of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.
Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert.
Based on vessel tracking and industry information, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.
LPG: The Real Vulnerability
The key weakness is LPG, experts note.
India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint.
Refineries can tweak operations to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.
In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through varied suppliers. Processed petroleum stocks remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the key factor to monitor in the coming weeks."
What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of panic buying.
An industry representative states exploitative practices.
"Distributors are misusing the situation - selling fuel on the black market 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 global trade flows. But in kitchens across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
