🔗 Share this article ‘The Situation is Dire’: War on Iran Constricts India's Kitchen Fuel Stock. People line up to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in an urban center. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a representative of the a major restaurant body. Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to coal and wood and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." Regional Impact In a western metro, accounts say up to a fifth of eateries are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have depleted with scarce alternatives. "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. A restaurant in a southern city which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million household consumers and officials say cylinders are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads. India imports up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to interruptions in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Gulf countries. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "A large quantity of 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz. Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through diversification. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the key factor to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
People line up to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in an urban center. The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy shipments through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, forcing restaurants to shorten food lists, shorten hours and in some cases close completely. Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as worries over fuel supplies spread. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in food service establishments. "Conditions are critical. Cooking gas simply is unavailable," says a representative of the a major restaurant body. Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are switching to coal and wood and electric cookers to keep kitchens going." Regional Impact In a western metro, accounts say up to a fifth of eateries are already completely or partially closed as commercial LPG supplies dry up. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have depleted with scarce alternatives. "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. A restaurant in a southern city which has shut down due to a scarcity of kitchen fuel. Restaurant operators are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies wax and wane. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are selling out quickly. Government Stance Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage. India has more than 300 million household consumers and officials say cylinders are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the regional hostilities impact energy markets. Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the vital passage now significantly disrupted by the hostilities. The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear". "A degree of anxious stocking and stockpiling has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for home fuel remains about under three days," says a senior official. Growing Panic Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of scooters outside a petrol pump. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads. India imports up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it highly exposed to interruptions in international markets. According to reports from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be premature. India imports the overwhelming majority of its oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Gulf countries. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst. Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective deficit from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day. "A large quantity of 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 ready fallback," an analyst noted. Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say. India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz. Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through diversification. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the key factor to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.