As the ongoing conflict in West Asia enters its fourth week, supply chain disruptions, particularly through critical routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, have affected the availability of cooking gas in India.
Although shortages were reported in some parts of the country, the government continued to reassure the public that domestic crude and refined fuel stocks were sufficient to meet current demand.
India remains particularly exposed to global energy shocks as the world’s third-largest oil consumer and is heavily dependent on West Asian suppliers. Countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia account for a substantial portion of its imports, as more than 40% of crude oil imports and 90% of LPG imports come from the conflict-affected region of West Asia.
India gets its oil from alternative suppliers
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also forced India to look for alternative suppliers. To fill the gap, the country increased its income from West Africa and Russia. However, these “alternative” routes incur higher shipping and insurance fees.
In response to the nationwide shortage, the government previously implemented a staggered distribution strategy that prioritized supplies to domestic households while restricting supplies to commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
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Meanwhile, the Gujarat government said that registered citizens can now book cooking gas easily through various digital platforms such as WhatsApp, missed calls, SMS, mobile apps and official company portals. “Furthermore, bottles can also be booked through partner wallets or banking apps through the Bharat Bill Payment System,” said a report published by PTI.
Change in LPG prices:
The government has increased the cost of both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders due to supply disruptions.
The price of a 14.2 kg gas cylinder for home cooking has increased ₹60, while the price of a 19 kg commercial bottle was increased by ₹144 in early March in major metro cities.
No revisions have been made since then. LPG cylinder prices thus remain stable throughout the country.
Domestic and Commercial LPG Price in Indian Cities — Complete List
Below is a list of domestic and commercial LPG cylinder prices in major Indian cities.
CityDomestic LPG cylinder priceCommercial LPG cylinder priceNew Delhi ₹913 ₹1,884.50 Bombay ₹912.50 ₹1 836 Calcutta ₹939 ₹1,988.50 chennai ₹928.50 ₹2,043.50 Hyderabad ₹965 ₹2,105.50 Lucknow ₹950.50 ₹2007 Bengaluru ₹915.50 ₹1 958 Patna ₹1,002.50 ₹2,133.50
It is important to note that there will be slight differences in LPG prices between states due to local value added tax (VAT) and transport charges.
Alleviating panic among people
At a press conference held on Thursday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said around 55 million bookings were made, down from 57 million the previous day, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the pre-war average booking per day was 50-55 million.
“Panic booking is approaching,” she said, according to the agency. She also added that the government continues to prioritize the supply of affordable LPG to domestic households.
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However, she warned that “the LPG (supply) situation remains worrisome, but no LPG distributor is running dry.
Talking about commercial gas supplies, Sharma said that 11,300 tonnes of commercial LPG was handed over to commercial facilities last week.
It further noted that domestic LPG production has increased by more than 40% in the past two weeks and the three public sector oil marketing companies have been reaching normal pre-war levels of daily supply of LPG refills.
