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

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

As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, supplies of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to reduce offerings, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments.

"The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a spokesperson of the an industry group.

Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or piped gas, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the southern states. People are turning to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep food preparation going."

Localized Effects

In Mumbai, media reports say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some eateries say their fuel reserves have dwindled with little backup. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are seeking alternatives. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are fluctuating as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."

Retailers report a surge in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are running out of them.

Official Position

Yet, the officials maintains there is no shortage.

India has more than 30 crore household consumers and authorities say stocks are being reallocated to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities impact energy markets.

About six out of ten of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the conflict.

The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been triggered by misinformation. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official.

Widening Concern

Now the concern is extending beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads.

According to reports from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be exaggerated.

India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Gulf countries.

Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert.

Based on shipping data and industry information, incremental 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 a substantial volume of barrels a day.

"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently in transit at sea in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.

LPG: The Real Vulnerability

The key weakness is kitchen fuel, experts note.

India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait.

Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Fuel availability remains fairly adequate. LPG availability is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks."

What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just limited availability but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of panic buying.

An industry representative states exploitative practices.

"Retailers are exploiting the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold at a premium."

For now, India's energy imports may be protected by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.