🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Kitchen Fuel Stock. People line up to buy fuel canisters for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, media reports say up to a 20% of eateries are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A eatery in a southern city which has ceased operations due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies ebb and flow. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the war. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about 25%. Business-grade fuel is being reserved for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the oil it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The primary concern is cooking gas, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks 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 limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
People line up to buy fuel canisters for home cooking in an urban center. The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's households. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments. "The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in the capital, many in the south. People are switching to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep food preparation going." City-Specific Fallout In a financial hub, media reports say up to a 20% of eateries are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their fuel reserves have shrunk with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A eatery in a southern city which has ceased operations due to a lack of kitchen fuel. Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies ebb and flow. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario." Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Authority's View Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage. India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets. About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those consignments pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the war. The relevant department says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about 25%. Business-grade fuel is being reserved for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been caused by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the description reads. India sources up to a vast majority of the oil it requires, leaving it particularly vulnerable to interruptions in worldwide shipments. According to analysis from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, lessening 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The primary concern is cooking gas, experts note. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the chokepoint. Refineries can modify output to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks 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 limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative alleges exploitative practices. "Distributors are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.