‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: War on Iran Constricts India's LPG Availability.
The repercussions of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now reaching India's kitchens.
As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, availability of cooking gas are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether.
Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens.
"The situation is dire. LPG simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group.
Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are adopting solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep kitchens going."
Localized Effects
In a financial hub, accounts say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers note a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly.
Official Position
Yet, the officials maintains there is no shortage.
India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and authorities say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the regional hostilities impact energy markets.
About 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the conflict.
The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been triggered by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a ministry representative.
Growing Panic
Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "Concern is genuine," the description reads.
According to analysis from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated.
India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers.
Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert.
Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day.
"A large quantity of 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted.
Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness
The key weakness is cooking gas, commentators observe.
India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz.
Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks."
What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling.
An industry representative alleges price gouging.
"Retailers 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 stockpiled and sold at a premium."
For now, India's oil supplies may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
