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

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

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy deliveries through the vital shipping lane, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as worries over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the worst hit: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens.

"Conditions are critical. LPG simply isn't available," says a representative of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most eateries run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are turning to coal and wood and induction stoves to keep food preparation going."

City-Specific Fallout

In a financial hub, local news say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their gas stocks have shrunk with little backup. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures 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 observe a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly.

Authority's View

Yet, the officials insists there is adequate supply.

India has more than a vast number of household consumers and spokespersons say stocks are being redirected to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets.

Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the hostilities.

The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being prioritised for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".

"Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative.

Widening Concern

Now the concern is moving beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads.

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

India imports 90% of its crude oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Middle Eastern nations.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.

"Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.

Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern

The primary concern is cooking gas, commentators observe.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only 40-45% domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint.

Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the key factor to watch in the coming weeks."

What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of hoarding.

An industry representative alleges price gouging.

"Distributors are misusing the situation - illegally trading canisters 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 petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next refill.