‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: Hostilities on Iran Tightens India's LPG Supplies.

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

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of cooking gas are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to shorten food lists, close earlier and in some cases shut down altogether.

Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments.

"Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the shortages are now being experienced across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are adopting solid fuels and induction stoves to keep food preparation going."

City-Specific Fallout

In a financial hub, media reports 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 eateries say their gas stocks have depleted with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a business operator in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape."

Retailers note a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly.

Authority's View

Yet, the officials states there is no shortage.

India has more than 300 million household consumers and spokespersons say supplies are being reallocated to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.

Approximately a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the war.

The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being allocated for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"Unnecessary hoarding and accumulation has been triggered by false reports. The normal delivery cycle for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a senior official.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads.

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

India imports 90% of its petroleum. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Middle Eastern nations.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, 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 shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.

"A large quantity 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 cooking gas, experts note.

India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait.

Refineries can tweak operations to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.

In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the key factor to track in the coming weeks."

What may be heightening the panic on the ground is not just limited availability but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of stockpiling.

An industry representative alleges exploitative practices.

"Suppliers 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 petroleum stocks may be protected by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next refill.