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

The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes.

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is flooded by video clips showing crowds outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the most affected: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens.

"The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most food outlets run either on commercial LPG cylinders or piped gas, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the south. People are switching to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep food preparation going."

Regional Impact

In Mumbai, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their fuel reserves have depleted with minimal reserves. "Coffee is the sole item we can prepare and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are skipping midday meals and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are fluctuating as supplies ebb and flow. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a dynamic scenario."

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

Government Stance

Yet, the officials insists there is adequate supply.

India has more than 300 million household consumers and spokespersons say stocks are being prioritized to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets.

Roughly a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the vital passage now effectively closed by the war.

The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Business-grade fuel is being reserved for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been sparked by false reports. The normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a senior official.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the caption reads.

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

India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Gulf countries.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the deficit could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator.

Based on vessel tracking and industry information, increased 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 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 key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.

Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness

The key weakness is kitchen fuel, analysts say.

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

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

In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through diversification. Fuel availability remains fairly adequate. Cooking gas supply is the key factor to track in the coming weeks."

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

An industry representative claims opportunistic profiteering.

"Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold at a premium."

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