The repercussions of a war being fought nearly 1,864 miles away are now reaching India's kitchens.
As aerial attacks on Iran hinder energy transports through the vital shipping lane, supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are tightening across India, compelling restaurants to cut menus, shorten hours and in some cases cease operations entirely.
Social media is flooded by video clips showing crowds outside fuel suppliers across Indian urban and rural areas as worries over fuel supplies spread. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the biggest crunch is in food service establishments.
"The state of affairs is alarming. LPG simply cannot be found," says a official of the National Restaurant Association of India.
Most food outlets run either on industrial fuel canisters or direct gas lines, and the lack of supply are now being felt across the country. "A lot of restaurants have closed - some in northern India, many in the southern states. People are adopting traditional burners and electronic appliances to keep kitchens going."
Regional Impact
In a western metro, accounts say up to a significant portion of eateries are already fully or partly shut as business fuel stocks dwindle. In the southern cities of Bangalore and Madras, some eateries say their cylinder inventory have depleted with scarce alternatives. "Our menu is reduced to coffee and no other dishes - it is nothing less than pathetic. Businesses are going to suffer," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant managers are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that stoppages are varying as supplies wax and wane. "Several establishments in Delhi were shut yesterday - two have already reopened. It's a fluid situation."
Retailers observe a increase in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Government Stance
Yet, the officials maintains there is sufficient stock.
India has more than 30 crore domestic LPG users and officials say cylinders are being reallocated to households as tensions from the war in the Gulf affect energy markets.
Roughly a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about 90% of those imports pass through the key maritime route, the narrow Gulf chokepoint now significantly disrupted by the conflict.
The oil ministry says that it directed refineries to maximise LPG output for household consumption, raising domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for vital industries such as hospitals and educational institutions, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"A degree of anxious stocking and hoarding has been sparked by false reports. The regular refill period for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a senior official.
Widening Concern
Now the worry is spreading beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a long, snaking queue of two-wheelers outside a gas outlet. "Concern is genuine," the caption reads.
According to data from market experts, concerns about India's broader fuel supplies may be overstated.
India imports the overwhelming majority of its petroleum. 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 deficit could be partly compensated for by higher imports of discounted Russian crude, according to a sector expert.
Based on shipping data and industry information, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around a significant volume of barrels a day, narrowing India's effective gap from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"Tens of millions of Russian oil barrels are currently on the water in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.
LPG: The Real Vulnerability
The key weakness is kitchen fuel, analysts say.
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 squeeze out a bit more LPG, but even a limited rise would only raise domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country significantly leaning on imports.
In short: "Crude supply risk can be moderately reduced through varied suppliers. Refined product supply remains largely sufficient. LPG availability is the real variable to monitor in the coming weeks."
What may be worsening the panic on the ground is not just tight supply but erratic supply chains - and the familiar spectre of hoarding.
An industry representative claims exploitative practices.
"Retailers are misusing the situation - illegally trading canisters and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being accumulated and sold at a premium."
For now, India's oil supplies may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in homes across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next cylinder.
