🔗 Share this article ‘A Critical Scenario’: Conflict on Iran Squeezes India's Kitchen Fuel Supplies. People queue up to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in Chennai. The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy transports through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are adopting traditional burners and induction stoves to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their fuel reserves have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of LPG. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Roughly 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now largely blocked by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been triggered by misinformation. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the caption reads. India sources up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in international markets. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be overstated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around a significant portion of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and industry information, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing 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 on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The real vulnerability is cooking gas, commentators observe. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait. Refineries can tweak operations to extract a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "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 accumulated and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.
People queue up to buy fuel canisters for domestic use in Chennai. The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly a significant distance away are now impacting India's kitchens. As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy transports through the vital shipping lane, supplies of kitchen fuel are shrinking across India, compelling restaurants to shorten food lists, reduce operating times and in some cases cease operations entirely. Social media is awash with video clips showing crowds outside fuel suppliers across Indian metros and localities as anxieties over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the worst hit: the biggest crunch is in commercial eateries. "Conditions are critical. Kitchen fuel simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India. Most eateries run either on commercial LPG cylinders or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the southern region. People are adopting traditional burners and induction stoves to keep their operations going." Localized Effects In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some establishments say their fuel reserves have shrunk with scarce alternatives. "We can only make coffee and no other dishes - it is extremely difficult. Commerce will take a hit," says a business operator in Bengaluru. A food joint in Chennai which has closed its doors due to a lack of LPG. Restaurant owners are scrambling to adapt. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation." Retailers report a spike in sales of electric cookers, with some saying they are running out of them. Government Stance Yet, the officials states there is sufficient stock. India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and spokespersons say supplies are being prioritized to households as geopolitical strain from the Middle East conflict impact energy markets. Roughly 60% of India's LPG is imported, and about 90% of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage now largely blocked by the war. The oil ministry says that it instructed refineries to boost LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Commercial stock is being prioritised for critical services such as medical and academic centers, while distribution will be "just and open". "Some panic booking and hoarding has been triggered by misinformation. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about 60 hours," says a ministry representative. Growing Panic Now the concern is spreading beyond kitchens. On online networks, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "The panic is real," the caption reads. India sources up to most of the oil it requires, leaving it significantly susceptible to interruptions in international markets. According to analysis from industry analysts, concerns about India's broader energy security may be overstated. India imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil. Around a significant portion of its crude oil imports - about millions of barrels a day - travel through the strait, largely from regional suppliers. Even if crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the deficit could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a sector expert. Based on vessel tracking and industry information, additional Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing 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 on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only two major Asian economies as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted. Cooking Gas: The Critical Weakness The real vulnerability is cooking gas, commentators observe. India consumes roughly a million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the Strait. Refineries can tweak operations to extract a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about 47-50% of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports. In short: "Petroleum shortage concerns can be moderately reduced through alternative sourcing. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. Cooking gas supply is the critical issue to watch in the coming weeks." What may be intensifying the anxiety on the ground is not just scarcity but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of panic buying. An industry representative states opportunistic profiteering. "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 accumulated and sold at a premium." For now, India's petroleum stocks may be buffered by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more immediate question is simple: how to get the next refill.