‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Cooking-Gas Supplies.

The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's homes.

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy transports through the vital shipping lane, availability of cooking gas are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely.

Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian cities and towns as anxieties over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the most affected: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens.

"The situation is dire. LPG simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group.

Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are turning to traditional burners and electric cookers to keep kitchens going."

City-Specific Fallout

In Mumbai, media reports say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their fuel reserves have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Businesses are going to suffer," says a business operator in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are skipping midday meals and opening only for dinner," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."

Retailers observe a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts.

Government Stance

Yet, the authorities insists there is adequate supply.

India has more than 300 million domestic LPG users and officials say stocks are being prioritized to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets.

About 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those shipments pass through the key maritime route, the strategic bottleneck now significantly disrupted by the hostilities.

The relevant department says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about 25%. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".

"Some panic booking and hoarding has been sparked by false reports. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders 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 lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads.

According to data from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be overstated.

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

Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the deficit could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.

"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a available backup," an analyst noted.

LPG: The Real Vulnerability

The key weakness is LPG, commentators observe.

India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait.

Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a 10-20% boost would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.

In short: "Crude supply risk can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to monitor in the coming weeks."

What may be intensifying the panic on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the common threat of hoarding.

An industry representative states price gouging.

"Retailers are taking advantage of the situation - black-marketing cylinders 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 energy imports may be protected by global trade flows. But in homes across the country, the more urgent issue is simple: how to get the next refill.