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

The ripple effects of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's homes.

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely.

Social media is filled with video clips showing queues outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments.

"The state of affairs is alarming. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the a major restaurant body.

Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the southern states. People are adopting coal and wood and electric cookers to keep kitchens going."

Regional Impact

In a financial hub, media reports say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have dwindled with little backup. "We can only make coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Businesses are going to suffer," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are skipping midday meals and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies come and go. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a changing landscape."

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

Government Stance

Yet, the government insists there is no shortage.

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 affect energy markets.

About six out of ten of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about the vast majority of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now effectively closed by the conflict.

The relevant department says that it instructed refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, raising domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being reserved for essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been sparked by false reports. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about two-and-a-half days," says a government spokesperson.

Widening Concern

Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of motorbikes outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads.

According to data from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be overstated.

India imports 90% of its petroleum. Around a significant portion of its oil purchases - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on maritime intelligence and credible market sources, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap 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 two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.

Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness

The real vulnerability is cooking gas, experts note.

India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through Hormuz.

Refineries can adjust processes 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 largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through varied suppliers. Fuel availability remains fairly adequate. Kitchen fuel stocks is the key factor to track in the coming weeks."

What may be heightening the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but uneven distribution - and the usual problem of hoarding.

An industry representative states price gouging.

"Distributors are taking advantage of the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off."

For now, India's petroleum stocks may be cushioned by global trade flows. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next cylinder.