‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Conflict on Iran Constricts India's LPG Supplies.
The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's kitchens.
As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely.
Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries.
"Conditions are critical. Kitchen fuel simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India.
Most restaurants run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the southern states. People are adopting traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going."
City-Specific Fallout
In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have dwindled with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers observe a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly.
Authority's View
Yet, the government maintains there is adequate supply.
India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and authorities say cylinders are being reallocated to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the conflict.
The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to boost LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".
"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been triggered by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official.
Spreading Anxiety
Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the caption reads.
According to data from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated.
India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around a significant portion of its oil purchases - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Gulf countries.
Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert.
Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, increased 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 a substantial volume of barrels a day.
"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.
Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness
The primary concern is kitchen fuel, experts note.
India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait.
Refineries can adjust processes to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.
In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the concern on the ground is not just limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of panic buying.
An industry representative alleges opportunistic profiteering.
"Retailers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder."
For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
