‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Tightens India's Cooking-Gas Availability.
The repercussions of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now being felt in India's kitchens.
As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of kitchen fuel are tightening across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, close earlier and in some cases close completely.
Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian cities and towns as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens.
"The state of affairs is alarming. Kitchen fuel simply cannot be found," says a spokesperson of the National Restaurant Association of India.
Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in northern India, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and induction stoves to keep food preparation going."
Localized Effects
In Mumbai, local news say up to a fifth of eateries are already operating at reduced capacity 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 nothing else - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are seeking alternatives. "Offering lists are shrinking, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers report a increase in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly.
Government Stance
Yet, the authorities states there is no shortage.
India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and authorities say supplies are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets.
About 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about nine out of ten of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the hostilities.
The petroleum ministry says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for home needs, lifting domestic production by about a significant margin. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".
"A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been triggered by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official.
Spreading Anxiety
Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "Concern is genuine," the text reads.
According to analysis from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader energy security may be premature.
India imports 90% of its oil. Around 50% of its petroleum shipments - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers.
Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the gap could be partly compensated for by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator.
Based on shipping data and expert analysis, additional Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall 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 on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.
LPG: The Real Vulnerability
The primary concern is kitchen fuel, experts note.
India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the chokepoint.
Refineries can tweak operations to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the critical issue to track in the coming weeks."
What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of hoarding.
An industry representative alleges price gouging.
"Distributors are misusing the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder."
For now, India's petroleum stocks may be cushioned by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
