‘A Critical Scenario’: War on Iran Constricts India's Cooking-Gas Availability.

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

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran impede energy transports through the vital shipping lane, stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies escalate. Restaurant kitchens appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments.

"The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply cannot be found," says a representative of the a major restaurant body.

Most restaurants run either on commercial LPG cylinders or direct gas lines, and the scarcities are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have ceased operations - some in Delhi, many in the southern region. People are switching to coal and wood and electronic appliances to keep their operations going."

Localized Effects

In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hotels and restaurants are already operating at reduced capacity as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some establishments say their cylinder inventory have depleted with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Operations will be impacted," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are opening only for dinner and reducing hours," an industry representative says, adding that shutdowns are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario."

Retailers note a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are selling out quickly.

Official Position

Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage.

India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as tensions from the Middle East conflict ripple through energy markets.

About six out of ten of India's LPG is sourced from abroad, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the strategic bottleneck now significantly disrupted by the war.

The oil ministry says that it ordered refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about a significant margin. Business-grade fuel is being allocated for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "fair and transparent".

"Some panic booking and accumulation has been triggered by rumors. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about 60 hours," says a government spokesperson.

Widening Concern

Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the caption reads.

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

India imports 90% of its crude oil. Around a significant portion of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the passage, largely from Gulf countries.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shortfall could be partly made up by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert.

Based on vessel tracking and industry information, 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 a substantial volume of barrels a day.

"Around 25-30 million Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.

LPG: The Real Vulnerability

The primary concern is kitchen fuel, experts note.

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

Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only increase domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.

In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Processed petroleum stocks remains largely sufficient. Kitchen fuel stocks is the critical issue 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 common threat of stockpiling.

An industry representative claims price gouging.

"Suppliers are exploiting the situation - selling fuel on the black market and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold to the highest bidder."

For now, India's energy imports may be buffered by international market dynamics. But in restaurants across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.