🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Constricts India's LPG Availability. People line up to buy fuel canisters for home cooking in Chennai. The ripple effects of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a representative of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep their operations going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, accounts say up to a fifth 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 fuel reserves have depleted with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A eatery in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a shortage of LPG. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers note a spike in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and spokespersons say stocks are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been caused by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India brings in up to 90% of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to problems in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be overstated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is cooking gas, experts note. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the key factor to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of panic buying. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People line up to buy fuel canisters for home cooking in Chennai. The ripple effects of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a representative of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep their operations going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, accounts say up to a fifth 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 fuel reserves have depleted with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A eatery in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a shortage of LPG. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation." Retailers note a spike in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and spokespersons say stocks are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been caused by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads. India brings in up to 90% of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to problems in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be overstated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is cooking gas, experts note. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the key factor to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of panic buying. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next gas canister.