‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Supplies.

The repercussions of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes.

As military actions on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of cooking gas are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to reduce offerings, reduce operating times and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens.

"Conditions are critical. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the shortages are now being noticed across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in the capital, many in the southern region. People are switching to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep their operations going."

City-Specific Fallout

In Mumbai, media reports say up to a significant portion of eateries are already operating at reduced capacity as commercial LPG supplies dwindle. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some eateries say their gas stocks have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation."

Retailers observe a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts.

Authority's View

Yet, the officials insists there is sufficient stock.

India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and spokespersons say supplies are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets.

Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the conflict.

The oil ministry 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 prioritised for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been caused by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for household cylinders remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official.

Growing Panic

Now the anxiety is extending beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a fuel station. "Concern is genuine," the caption reads.

According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature.

India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on maritime intelligence and industry information, increased 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.

LPG: The Real Vulnerability

The primary concern is LPG, analysts say.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint.

Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.

In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through diversification. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks."

What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of panic buying.

An industry representative states price gouging.

"Suppliers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off."

For now, India's energy imports may be cushioned by international market dynamics. But in kitchens across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.