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

The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now being felt in India's kitchens.

As military actions on Iran hinder energy transports through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of cooking gas are shrinking across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, 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 anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the worst hit: the sharpest squeeze is in commercial eateries.

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

Most food outlets run either on business-grade gas tanks or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are turning to traditional burners and electronic appliances to keep their operations going."

Regional Impact

In a financial hub, media reports say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability dry up. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their fuel reserves have depleted with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are seeking alternatives. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape."

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

Authority's View

Yet, the officials states there is adequate supply.

India has more than 300 million home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say stocks are being reallocated to households as geopolitical strain from the regional hostilities impact energy markets.

Roughly 60% of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the war.

The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for critical services such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".

"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been caused by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for household cylinders remains about under three days," says a ministry representative.

Growing Panic

Now the anxiety is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of two-wheelers outside a petrol pump. "The panic is real," the caption reads.

According to analysis from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader energy security may be exaggerated.

India imports almost all of its crude oil. Around 50% of its crude oil imports - about 2.5-2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from Gulf countries.

Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly compensated for by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on shipping data and expert analysis, 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 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.

Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness

The real vulnerability is cooking gas, analysts say.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint.

Refineries can tweak operations to extract a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only lift domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through diversification. Processed petroleum stocks remains fairly adequate. Cooking gas supply is the real variable to track in the coming weeks."

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

An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering.

"Suppliers are misusing the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and auctioned off."

For now, India's petroleum stocks may be cushioned by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.