‘An Alarming State of Affairs’: War on Iran Squeezes India's Kitchen Fuel Supplies.

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

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, stocks of cooking gas are dwindling across India, compelling restaurants to reduce offerings, close earlier and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian urban and rural areas as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens.

"The state of affairs is alarming. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a representative of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most food outlets run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the shortages are now being noticed across the country. "A lot of restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the southern states. People are turning to solid fuels and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."

Regional Impact

In Mumbai, local news say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have depleted with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and nothing else - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a business operator in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are skipping midday meals and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are varying as supplies wax and wane. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - a couple are back in business. It's a changing landscape."

Retailers report a surge in sales of electronic cooking appliances, with some saying they are selling out quickly.

Official Position

Yet, the government maintains there is no shortage.

India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets.

Approximately 60% of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those shipments pass through the critical waterway, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the conflict.

The petroleum ministry says that it ordered refineries to increase LPG output for household consumption, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being prioritised for essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "just and open".

"Some panic booking and accumulation has been triggered by misinformation. The normal delivery cycle for household cylinders remains about two-and-a-half days," says a government spokesperson.

Growing Panic

Now the anxiety is extending beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads.

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

India imports almost all of its petroleum. Around 50% of its oil purchases - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Middle Eastern nations.

Even if oil shipments 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 maritime intelligence 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 1.6 million barrels a day.

"Around 25-30 million 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted.

Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness

The key weakness is cooking gas, experts note.

India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority through the Strait.

Refineries can tweak operations to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.

In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be somewhat alleviated through diversification. Fuel availability remains fairly adequate. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks."

What may be heightening the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but patchy deliveries - and the usual problem of hoarding.

An industry representative states exploitative practices.

"Retailers are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder."

For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next gas canister.