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

The shockwaves of a conflict being fought nearly a significant distance away are now being felt in India's households.

As aerial attacks on Iran impede energy shipments through the key maritime chokepoint, stocks of kitchen fuel are dwindling across India, pushing restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.

Social media is flooded by video clips showing lines outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies grow. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in restaurant kitchens.

"The situation is dire. Cooking gas simply isn't available," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Most restaurants run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the shortages are now being felt across the country. "Many restaurants have shut down - some in the capital, many in the southern region. People are adopting coal and wood and electronic appliances to keep food preparation going."

Regional Impact

In Mumbai, media reports say up to a fifth of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as cylinder availability tighten. In the southern cities of tech and coastal hubs, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have depleted with little backup. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is truly dismal. Operations will be impacted," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.

Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Menus are being curtailed, some are opening only for dinner and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are fluctuating as supplies come and go. "Several establishments 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.

Government Stance

Yet, the authorities maintains there is no shortage.

India has more than a vast number of home fuel subscribers and authorities say cylinders are being reallocated to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets.

About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those shipments pass through the critical waterway, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now largely blocked by the war.

The relevant department says that it directed refineries to boost LPG output for home needs, enhancing domestic production by about 25%. Non-domestic supply is being prioritised for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "just and open".

"A degree of anxious stocking and accumulation has been triggered by misinformation. The regular refill period for home fuel remains about under three days," says a ministry representative.

Spreading Anxiety

Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a extended procession of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Anxiety is palpable," the description reads.

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

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

Even if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are hindered, the shortfall could be partly compensated for by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a industry commentator.

Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, increased Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, reducing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.

"A large quantity 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 viable alternative," an analyst noted.

LPG: The Real Vulnerability

The key weakness is cooking gas, experts note.

India consumes roughly one million barrels a day, but produces only a minority share domestically, importing the rest - 80–90% through the chokepoint.

Refineries can modify output to squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only lift domestic supply to about under half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.

In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Fuel availability remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the key factor to track in the coming weeks."

What may be intensifying the concern on the ground is not just tight supply but patchy deliveries - and the familiar spectre of panic buying.

An industry representative states exploitative practices.

"Retailers are exploiting the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a high cost. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being hoarded and auctioned off."

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