🔗 Share this article ‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Conflict on Iran Tightens India's LPG Supplies. People line up to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's homes. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian cities and towns as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in commercial eateries. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, local news say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of household consumers and authorities say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Approximately 60% of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now largely blocked by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been caused by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for home fuel remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Spreading Anxiety Now the worry is moving beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the oil it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in international markets. According to analysis from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 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 deficit 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 credible market sources, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Tens of millions 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling. An industry representative alleges price gouging. "Retailers 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 auctioned off." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
People line up to buy LPG tanks for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's homes. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian cities and towns as concerns over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the most affected: the most severe shortage is in commercial eateries. "The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a western metro, local news say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has shut down due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of household consumers and authorities say cylinders are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Approximately 60% of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now largely blocked by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent". "A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been caused by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for home fuel remains about under three days," says a government spokesperson. Spreading Anxiety Now the worry is moving beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the oil it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to problems in international markets. According to analysis from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports 90% of its oil. Around half of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 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 deficit 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 credible market sources, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "Tens of millions 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. LPG: The Real Vulnerability The key weakness is LPG, analysts say. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling. An industry representative alleges price gouging. "Retailers 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 auctioned off." For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.