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

The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now impacting India's households.

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran hinder energy deliveries through the key maritime chokepoint, availability of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases close completely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing lines outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Commercial LPG users appear the hardest struck: the sharpest squeeze is in restaurant kitchens.

"The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply cannot be found," says a representative of the a major restaurant body.

Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being experienced across the country. "Numerous restaurants have shut down - some in Delhi, many in the south. People are turning to traditional burners and induction stoves to keep kitchens going."

City-Specific Fallout

In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of hotels and restaurants are already operating at reduced capacity as cylinder availability dwindle. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no food items - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are seeking alternatives. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are changing as supplies ebb and flow. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a fluid situation."

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

Government Stance

Yet, the government states there is no shortage.

India has more than 30 crore home fuel subscribers and officials say stocks are being redirected to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict affect energy markets.

Approximately a majority of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck now largely blocked by the hostilities.

The petroleum ministry says that it instructed refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for essential sectors such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".

"Unnecessary hoarding and accumulation has been caused by misinformation. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about two-and-a-half days," says a senior official.

Widening Concern

Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of scooters outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the text reads.

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

India imports 90% of its petroleum. Around a significant portion of its oil purchases - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the gap could be partly offset by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a sector expert.

Based on maritime intelligence and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about a substantial volume of barrels a day.

"Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only India and China as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.

Kitchen Fuel: The Primary Concern

The primary concern is LPG, analysts say.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - the vast majority 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 largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks."

What may be worsening the anxiety on the ground is not just limited availability but erratic supply chains - and the usual problem of panic buying.

An industry representative alleges price gouging.

"Suppliers are taking advantage of the situation - selling fuel on the black market 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 oil supplies may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in kitchens across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.