‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Availability.
The ripple effects of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's kitchens.
As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases shut down altogether.
Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments.
"Conditions are critical. Kitchen fuel simply is unavailable," says a spokesperson of the a major restaurant body.
Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in the capital, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep kitchens going."
Regional Impact
In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already operating at reduced capacity as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their fuel reserves have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are fluctuating as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a changing landscape."
Retailers report a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Authority's View
Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock.
India has more than 30 crore household consumers and officials say stocks are being prioritized to households as tensions from the regional hostilities ripple through energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the conflict.
The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to boost LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being allocated for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".
"Unnecessary hoarding and accumulation has been sparked by rumors. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official.
Spreading Anxiety
Now the worry is moving beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of motorbikes outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads.
According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated.
India imports 90% of its crude oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers.
Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the deficit could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a industry commentator.
Based on shipping data and credible market sources, additional 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 1.6 million barrels a day.
"A large quantity 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 available backup," an analyst noted.
LPG: The Real Vulnerability
The primary concern is kitchen fuel, analysts say.
India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint.
Refineries can adjust processes to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.
In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of panic buying.
An industry representative claims exploitative practices.
"Suppliers 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 sold at a premium."
For now, India's energy imports may be protected by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
