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

The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now impacting India's homes.

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

Social media is filled with video clips showing crowds outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as anxieties over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries.

"The state of affairs is alarming. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a spokesperson of the an industry group.

Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the lack of supply are now being experienced across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are switching to solid fuels and electronic appliances to keep food preparation going."

City-Specific Fallout

In a financial hub, accounts say up to a fifth of hotels and restaurants are already fully or partly shut as commercial LPG supplies tighten. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no food items - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a restaurant owner in Bengaluru.

Restaurant operators are scrambling to adapt. "Menus are being curtailed, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "Three restaurants in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a changing landscape."

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

Official Position

Yet, the officials insists there is no shortage.

India has more than a vast number of household consumers and officials say cylinders are being redirected to households as conflict-related stress from the war in the Gulf impact energy markets.

Roughly a majority of India's LPG is imported, and about the vast majority of those imports pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the war.

The petroleum ministry says that it instructed refineries to maximise LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being reserved for essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".

"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been triggered by false reports. The standard supply timeline for domestic LPG remains about under three days," says a senior official.

Growing Panic

Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On digital platforms, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads.

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

India imports 90% of its crude oil. Around a significant portion of its petroleum shipments - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers.

Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the gap could be partly made up by higher imports of competitively priced oil from Russia, according to a industry commentator.

Based on vessel tracking and industry information, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, reducing India's effective shortfall 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 two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a viable alternative," an analyst noted.

Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness

The primary concern is cooking gas, analysts say.

India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - most of it through Hormuz.

Refineries can adjust processes to extract a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only increase domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports.

In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be moderately reduced through diversification. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable. Cooking gas supply is the key factor to monitor in the coming weeks."

What may be worsening 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 inflated price. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold at a premium."

For now, India's oil supplies may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next refill.