LPG crisis: Iran war bites Mumbai's vada pav and Bengaluru's iconic dosa

The shockwaves of a war being fought around 3,000 km away in Iran are now being felt in India's kitchens and by hotels and restaurants that rely heavily on commercial LPG cylinders. The ripple effect of the Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy chokepoint, has led to an LPG cooking gas crunch. Over the past few days, videos have emerged of serpentine queues outside LPG agencies. But the crisis is being felt even more sharply by restaurants and hotels in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai.

Behind the crisis is a stark reality -- India imports over 60% of its domestic LPG requirement, and nearly 85-90% of these imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making supplies vulnerable. With the conflict now entering its second week, the disruption in the supply of commercial cylinders has started to impact the hospitality sector. It has raised a worrying prospect. Your humble vada pav or masala dosa could soon become costlier, or temporarily disappear from menus if the supply crunch continues.

The crisis is acute in Mumbai. AHAR, which is the Mumbai Hotels Association, has stated that around 20% of hotels and restaurants have already shut down. It has warned that up to 50% of hotels could shut within the next two days if supplies do not improve.

Already, eateries in popular areas like Dadar and Andheri have begun shortening their menus. Operating hours are also being curtailed to conserve remaining stocks.

One possible factor behind the LPG crunch being faced by restaurants could be the government's move to prioritise cooking gas supplies for households. On Monday, the Centre invoked the Essential Commodities Act to ensure an uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas. Restaurant owners have claimed that commercial LPG supplies have largely stopped since Sunday.

The situation is not much different in Karnataka's IT hub, Bengaluru. The Bangalore Hotels Association has said operations across the city were likely to be affected starting March 10.

The association said the sudden stoppage was a "big blow" despite previous assurances from oil companies that supply wouldn't be affected for around 70 days.

Bengaluru's iconic Vidyarthi Bhavan, a famous breakfast joint, now appears to be staring at a shutdown.

"As of now, I have five gas cylinders left, which might last until tomorrow afternoon. After that, if I don't have gas, I will have to shut down. I have already put off two tawas to conserve gas," the owner of Vidyarthi Bhavan told India Today.

The story is the same in Tamil Nadu, with several restaurants in Chennai being forced to close shop.

"Commercial LPG distributors have completely stopped supplying cylinders, stating that they have no stock available. As a result, many restaurants are forced to shut down," the Chennai Hotel Association said in a letter to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri.

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