🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: Conflict on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Stock. People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Regional Impact In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have shrunk with little backup. "We can only make coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the government states there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of household consumers and officials say cylinders are being prioritized to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, raising domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being reserved for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the description reads. India imports up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to disruptions in global supplies. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around a significant portion of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a industry commentator. Based on maritime intelligence and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The primary concern is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be partially mitigated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People queue up to buy cooking gas cylinders for household consumption in Chennai. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as concerns over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens. "The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep their operations going." Regional Impact In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have shrunk with little backup. "We can only make coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru. A food joint in a southern city which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape." Retailers observe a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts. Government Stance Yet, the government states there is adequate supply. India has more than a vast number of household consumers and officials say cylinders are being prioritized to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, raising domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being reserved for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open". "A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by rumors. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about two-and-a-half days," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the description reads. India imports up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to disruptions in global supplies. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around a significant portion of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a industry commentator. Based on maritime intelligence and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day. "Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The primary concern is kitchen fuel, commentators observe. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports. In short: "Crude supply risk can be partially mitigated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to track in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.