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

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

As aerial attacks on Iran disrupt energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases close completely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside LPG distributors across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in restaurant kitchens.

"The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the an industry group.

Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are adopting coal and wood and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."

Regional Impact

In a financial hub, media reports say up to a significant portion of hospitality businesses are already completely or partially closed as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some establishments say their fuel reserves have dwindled with minimal reserves. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that closures are changing as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."

Retailers note a spike in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are running out of them.

Government Stance

Yet, the officials maintains there is adequate supply.

India has more than a vast number of domestic LPG users and officials say supplies are being redirected to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.

About a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the conflict.

The relevant department says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for vital industries such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open".

"Unnecessary hoarding and accumulation has been sparked by false reports. The regular refill period for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the concern is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a petrol pump. "The panic is real," the caption reads.

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

India imports almost all of its oil. Around half of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.

Based on shipping data and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall 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 India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.

Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern

The key weakness is cooking gas, experts note.

India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through Hormuz.

Refineries can tweak operations to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.

In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be partially mitigated through varied suppliers. Fuel availability remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the key factor to track in the coming weeks."

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

An industry representative claims exploitative practices.

"Distributors are misusing the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and auctioned off."

For now, India's oil supplies may be cushioned by global trade flows. But in kitchens across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.