🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Availability. People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in Chennai. The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As military actions on Iran impede energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the south. People are adopting traditional burners and induction stoves to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, media reports say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dry up. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no food items - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the authorities insists there is adequate supply. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war. The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being reserved for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been triggered by false reports. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the anxiety is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads. India imports up to most of the crude it consumes, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature. 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 oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing 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 in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through diversification. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative states price gouging. "Distributors are exploiting the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People wait in lines to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in Chennai. The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's kitchens. As military actions on Iran impede energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, stocks of cooking gas are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens. "Conditions are critical. LPG simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the south. People are adopting traditional burners and induction stoves to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, media reports say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as cylinder availability dry up. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no food items - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Official Position Yet, the authorities insists there is adequate supply. India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets. About 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war. The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being reserved for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been triggered by false reports. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the anxiety is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads. India imports up to most of the crude it consumes, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature. 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 oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on shipping data and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing 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 in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The primary concern is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait. Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through diversification. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of hoarding. An industry representative states price gouging. "Distributors are exploiting the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.