‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: War on Iran Tightens India's Cooking-Gas Availability.
The ripple effects of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now being felt in India's homes.
As military actions on Iran hinder energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, stocks of kitchen fuel are dwindling across India, compelling restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases shut down altogether.
Social media is filled with video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries.
"Conditions are critical. LPG simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group.
Most restaurants 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 Delhi, many in the south. People are adopting traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going."
Localized Effects
In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their gas stocks have depleted with little backup. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are fluctuating as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers report a surge in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are running out of them.
Authority's View
Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage.
India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and authorities say supplies are being reallocated to households as tensions from the regional hostilities impact energy markets.
Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the war.
The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"Some panic booking and hoarding has been caused by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a senior official.
Spreading Anxiety
Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a petrol pump. "The panic is real," the description reads.
According to data from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature.
India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Middle Eastern nations.
Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.
Based on vessel tracking and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"Tens of millions 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted.
Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern
The real vulnerability is kitchen fuel, commentators observe.
India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz.
Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the panic on the ground is not just limited availability but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of panic buying.
An industry representative alleges exploitative practices.
"Suppliers are exploiting the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder."
For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
