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

The repercussions of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's households.

As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy transports through the vital shipping lane, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments.

"The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the southern states. People are turning to traditional burners and electronic appliances to keep their operations going."

City-Specific Fallout

In Mumbai, accounts say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape."

Retailers report a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly.

Official Position

Yet, the government insists there is sufficient stock.

India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.

Approximately a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the conflict.

The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been triggered by false reports. The regular refill period for household cylinders remains about two-and-a-half days," says a ministry representative.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the text reads.

According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be overstated.

India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around half of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Middle Eastern nations.

Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a industry commentator.

Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, 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.

"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.

Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern

The key weakness is cooking gas, analysts say.

India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait.

Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Crude supply risk can be partially mitigated through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks."

What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just limited availability but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of hoarding.

An industry representative alleges exploitative practices.

"Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium."

For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by international market dynamics. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.