🔗 Share this article ‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's LPG Stock. People queue up to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's homes. As military actions on Iran hinder energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their gas stocks have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are varying as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the government insists there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf ripple through energy markets. Approximately a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for critical services such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Spreading Anxiety Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the description reads. India brings in up to a vast majority of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be overstated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. 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 shortfall 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The primary concern is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling. An industry representative claims exploitative practices. "Retailers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. 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 homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People queue up to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's homes. As military actions on Iran hinder energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Restaurant kitchens appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the an industry group. Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." Regional Impact In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their gas stocks have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru. A restaurant in Chennai which has ceased operations due to a shortage of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are varying as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the government insists there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf ripple through energy markets. Approximately a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for critical services such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Spreading Anxiety Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the description reads. India brings in up to a vast majority of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to problems in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be overstated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations. Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. 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 shortfall 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 floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The primary concern is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through Hormuz. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling. An industry representative claims exploitative practices. "Retailers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. 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 homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.