🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: War on Iran Tightens India's Cooking-Gas Supplies. People queue up to buy LPG tanks for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of cooking gas are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are turning to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers report a spike in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the government states there is adequate supply. India has more than 30 crore household consumers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as geopolitical strain from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the conflict. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been triggered 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 online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the caption reads. India sources up to 90% of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to disruptions in global supplies. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly compensated for by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of 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 on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through diversification. Fuel availability remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be heightening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the usual problem of stockpiling. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Suppliers 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 hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
People queue up to buy LPG tanks for household consumption in Chennai. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's homes. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of cooking gas are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are turning to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers report a spike in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the government states there is adequate supply. India has more than 30 crore household consumers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as geopolitical strain from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the conflict. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been triggered 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 online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the caption reads. India sources up to 90% of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to disruptions in global supplies. According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly compensated for by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of 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 on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through diversification. Fuel availability remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be heightening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the usual problem of stockpiling. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Suppliers 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 hoarded and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.