🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Stock. People line up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in Chennai. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a official of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are adopting traditional burners and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a financial hub, media reports say up to a fifth of eateries are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some establishments say their fuel reserves have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers note a increase in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are running out of them. Authority's View Yet, the officials states there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About six out of ten of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict. The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being reserved for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been triggered by rumors. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is moving beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India brings in up to 90% of the crude it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in global supplies. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be premature. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Tens of millions 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise 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. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the key factor to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of hoarding. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Distributors are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
People line up to buy LPG tanks for domestic use in Chennai. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a official of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are adopting traditional burners and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a financial hub, media reports say up to a fifth of eateries are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some establishments say their fuel reserves have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers note a increase in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are running out of them. Authority's View Yet, the officials states there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets. About six out of ten of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict. The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being reserved for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been triggered by rumors. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is moving beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India brings in up to 90% of the crude it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in global supplies. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be premature. India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Tens of millions 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise 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. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the key factor to monitor in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of hoarding. An industry representative states exploitative practices. "Distributors are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.