‘A Critical Scenario’: Conflict on Iran Constricts India's LPG Availability.
The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's kitchens.
As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy transports through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel 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 worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens.
"The situation is dire. LPG simply is unavailable," says a representative of the National Restaurant Association of India.
Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the shortages are now being experienced across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are adopting coal and wood and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."
City-Specific Fallout
In a western metro, local news say up to a 20% of eateries are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some establishments say their fuel reserves have dwindled with scarce alternatives. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a business operator in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers 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 changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario."
Retailers note a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Government Stance
Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage.
India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.
Roughly six out of ten of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war.
The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".
"Unnecessary hoarding and accumulation has been caused by rumors. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a government spokesperson.
Growing Panic
Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the description reads.
According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature.
India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Gulf countries.
Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the gap could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert.
Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million 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 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 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz.
Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.
In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to track in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of hoarding.
An industry representative states price gouging.
"Suppliers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium."
For now, India's energy imports may be cushioned by international market dynamics. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
