‘The Situation is Dire’: Hostilities on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Stock.

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

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, reduce operating times and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is filled with video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens.

"Conditions are critical. LPG simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the an industry group.

Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or piped gas, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Numerous restaurants have ceased operations - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are turning to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."

Regional Impact

In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their fuel reserves have shrunk with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are changing as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a changing landscape."

Retailers report a increase in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are facing stockouts.

Government Stance

Yet, the officials insists there is sufficient stock.

India has more than 30 crore household consumers and authorities say stocks are being reallocated to households as geopolitical strain from the war in the Gulf ripple through energy markets.

Approximately six out of ten of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those shipments pass through the critical waterway, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the hostilities.

The relevant department says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for essential sectors such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by rumors. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about two-and-a-half days," says a government spokesperson.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a gas outlet. "The panic is real," the caption reads.

According to reports from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated.

India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on vessel tracking and industry information, increased Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective deficit 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 two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.

Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern

The real vulnerability is LPG, analysts say.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait.

Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.

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

What may be worsening the concern on the ground is not just scarcity but uneven distribution - and the common threat of stockpiling.

An industry representative claims exploitative practices.

"Retailers are misusing the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder."

For now, India's oil supplies may be buffered by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next cylinder.