🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Stock. People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for domestic use in Chennai. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now reaching India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of kitchen fuel are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their gas stocks have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A restaurant in a southern city which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape." Retailers observe a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the officials insists there is adequate supply. 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. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now effectively closed by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been sparked by false reports. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the text reads. India imports up to most of the crude it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruptions in global supplies. According to data from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its oil. Around half of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional 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 on the water 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 key weakness is kitchen fuel, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through diversification. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of panic buying. 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 stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.
People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for domestic use in Chennai. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now reaching India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of kitchen fuel are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether. Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries. "The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the an industry group. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to solid fuels and electric cookers to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their gas stocks have shrunk with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A restaurant in a southern city which has closed its doors due to a lack of cooking gas. Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape." Retailers observe a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the officials insists there is adequate supply. 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. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now effectively closed by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, enhancing domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "Unnecessary hoarding and hoarding has been sparked by false reports. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official. Widening Concern Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the text reads. India imports up to most of the crude it uses, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruptions in global supplies. According to data from market experts, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be exaggerated. India imports almost all of its oil. Around half of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional 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 on the water 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 key weakness is kitchen fuel, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait. Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through diversification. Refined product supply remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks." What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the common threat of panic buying. 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 stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's energy imports may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.