Page 9 - Latest Updates on LPG Crisis

Wood, coal prices soar as Delhi-NCR caterers turn to alternative fuels

Commercial LPG cylinders are selling at up to three times the usual price, while wood and coal costs have jumped 50-100%, forcing Delhi-NCR caterers to cancel orders or absorb losses

India stares at steep rise in oil import bill amid West Asia conflict

India's net oil import bill could rise by $56-64 billion annually assuming global crude averages $110-115 per barrel in FY27

LPG bookings fall to 770k; online bookings rise after govt campaign

LPG refill bookings have declined to about 77 lakh from 88.8 lakh earlier, indicating some easing of panic buying, even as the government said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or cooking gas, and supplies remain stable despite the West Asia conflict. In a daily update on the impact of the West Asia situation, the government said the share of online LPG bookings has risen to about 87 per cent from 84 per cent, attributing the increase to a campaign by oil marketing companies promoting digital booking and discouraging people from queuing up at LPG dealerships for panic purchases. All domestic "refineries are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude oil inventories," the update said. "The country remains self-sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel, requiring no imports of the fuels to meet domestic demand." Oil marketing companies have reported no dry-outs at fuel retail outlets or LPG distributorships, and petrol, diesel and LPG supplies are being ...

Iran's Araghchi tells France counterpart must refrain from escalating war

Iran urges restraint amid calls for naval deployments to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil and LNG trade

LPG shortage: PNGRB asks city gas firms to speed up piped gas line rollout

Petroleum regulator advises city gas distributors to prioritise household PNG connections and accelerate pipeline expansion to reduce pressure on LPG supply chains

Govt stops LPG supply to PNG households as regulator pushes gas rollout

The government has barred households with piped cooking gas (called PNG) connections from retaining or obtaining subsidised domestic LPG connections, even as the sector regulator pushed city gas distributors to accelerate PNG rollout to ease pressure on cooking gas supplies amid global energy supply disruptions. In a notification issued on March 14, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas amended the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000, under the Essential Commodities Act, making it mandatory for consumers with PNG connections to surrender their domestic LPG connections. The amended order also prohibits government oil companies and their distributors from providing domestic LPG connections or refilling cylinders for consumers who already have a PNG supply. "No person having a piped natural gas (PNG) connection and also having a domestic LPG connection shall retain a domestic LPG connection, or take refills of domestic LPG cylinders from any

LPG crisis: Orders from restaurants start recovering, says magicpin

Orders from restaurants impacted by the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders due to the ongoing West Asia conflict are starting to recover as eateries adjust their menus and adopt alternative cooking methods, according to the food delivery platform magicpin. Anshoo Sharma, CEO and founder of magicpin, told PTI the disruption has largely affected smaller restaurants that rely heavily on LPG cylinders for cooking and have limited financial resources. Orders in cuisines that rely significantly on LPG-based cooking initially saw a dip of about 5-10 per cent, but demand has started to recover as restaurants adjust their operations, Sharma said. He observed that restaurants have responded to the supply constraints by temporarily restricting certain menu items and adopting alternatives such as induction cooking, wood-fired stoves and electric ovens. "Many of them are adapting by restricting certain menu items or shifting to alternatives like induction cooking, wood-fired stoves and electr

MSMEs face operational crisis as LPG shortage threatens jobs, growth

A critical shortage of LPG is pushing micro, small and medium enterprises towards an operational crisis, the Association of Indian Entrepreneurs said, calling for urgent intervention of central and state governments to prevent job losses in the sector. Association of Indian Entrepreneurs National Chairman K E Raghunathan highlighted that for thousands of small industries, commercial kitchens, and food processors, "LPG is not just a fuel, it is a lifeline of daily production." In a statement on Sunday, he said, "When supply becomes uncertain and prices rise sharply, MSMEs simply cannot absorb the shock." "Unlike large corporations, MSMEs operate on extremely thin margins. A sudden spike in energy costs or irregular LPG supply can force many units to cut production, reduce workforce, or temporarily shut down operations. If this situation continues, it could trigger a chain reaction impacting employment, supply chains and local economies," he added. Raghunathan urged the central and .

Haryana govt okays panels to ensure supply of commercial LPG as per need

The Haryana government has approved committees headed by deputy commissioners of districts to ensure a steady supply of commercial LPG to essential categories such as hospitals and educational institutions, including hostels. The deputy commissioners may also, on priority, allot commercial LPG cylinders for marriage functions as per need and priority. The order issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Raja Sekhar Vundru, stated that priority may be accorded to marriage functions of daughters. The Government of India is prioritising LPG for domestic cooking and essential sectors, like hospitals, while restricting supply to non-essential commercial enterprises, including restaurants. Vundru's order further stated that the committee may include the superintendent of police, chief medical officer, and district education officer as members, with the district food and supplies controller as member secretary. This committee may allot

Govt prohibits PNG users to hold LPG cylinders amid supply shortage

India is facing tightening of LPG supplies as nearly 90 per cent of the country's LPG imports originate from the West Asia

India well placed to handle fuel supply risks amid West Asia crisis: Goyal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India is well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil and fuel, as the West Asia crisis disrupts gas shipments and shipping routes, and highlighted that the government has ramped up kerosene production to provide an alternate option for the common man. Speaking at the CNBC-TV India Business Leaders Awards 2026 ceremony, Goyal said the government plans to come up with some "concrete agenda" next week to support exporters. "On crude oil, on fuel, we are pretty well placed. We have good stocks in hand. There's been absolutely no disturbance of any sort on the crude or the fuel front, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel," Goyal said. He said that India has ramped up kerosene production so that, in the event of any delays in LPG supplies, there will be an alternate cooking medium for the common man. "Incidentally, we are also covering through imports from diversified sources the requirements of LPG and LNG," he said. "The shipping times were

Delhi govt caps commercial LPG supply at 20% of daily average use

The Delhi government issued an order on Saturday, capping the daily regulated distribution of commercial LPG cylinders at roughly 20 per cent of the city's average consumption. The directive follows instructions from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and intends to ensure that essential services continue to receive fuel amid the escalating military conflict between Iran and the US that has put international supply routes in distress. "Delhi typically records a daily sale of around 9,000 commercial LPG cylinders (19-kg equivalent). Under the new system, approximately 1,800 cylinders per day will be distributed through a priority-based allocation mechanism coordinated with the three oil marketing companies (OMCs)," said the order issued by the Department of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs. Under the distribution framework, sectors have been classified into eight priority categories. "Educational institutions, hospitals, railways and airports have been placed in the highes

PNG users cannot obtain or retain LPG connections, notifies Centre

The notification also stated that consumers with a PNG connection cannot apply for a new LPG connection or obtain cylinder refills

Commercial LPG sales start in 29 states, UTs; raids target black-marketing

Commercial LPG cylinder distribution has begun in 29 states and Union Territories, while authorities have stepped up raids and surprise inspections across the country to curb hoarding and black-marketing amid heightened pressure on cooking gas supplies, a senior oil ministry official said on Saturday. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said panic booking continues to rise despite the fact that there are enough stocks available to meet domestic household requirements of cooking gas LPG. India, she said, has adequate crude oil inventories, and domestic refineries are operating at full capacity, ensuring sufficient availability of petrol and diesel across the country. "There are no dry-out reports from any retail outlets. Our refineries are operating at full capacity, and sufficient petrol and diesel are available. Based on our requirements, we produce adequate petrol and diesel domestically and do not need to import," she said. Sharma said ..

Two Indian LPG vessels cross Strait of Hormuz safely, head to Gujarat

Indian LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely and are sailing towards Mundra and Kandla ports, officials said amid tensions in the Gulf region

TN govt offers ₹2 per unit power subsidy for eateries using induction

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit of electricity for restaurants, hotels and tea shops that switch to electric stoves instead of commercial LPG cylinders to run their businesses. Chief Minister M K Stalin has been holding review meetings since the conflict in West Asia began on February 28, which has led to a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders for eateries, the government said. At a review meeting held on Saturday, it was decided to provide a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for the additional electricity consumed by the hotels, tea shops and cloud kitchens using induction stoves. "This subsidy will remain in effect as long as the commercial LPG usage restrictions announced by the Centre are in place," Additional Chief Secretary J Radhakrishnan said. Briefing reporters at the Secretariat here, he said electricity consumption by hoteliers and restaurants has increased, with demand rising by about 50 MW above the average in the recent days. Referri

Two LPG tankers head for India after crossing embattled Strait of Hormuz

The ships were granted safe transit through the strait, which has been all but closed for nearly two weeks, after a deal between New Delhi and Tehran

6 arrested following raids at 1,483 sites in Uttar Pradesh amid LPG crisis

Amid the LPG crisis, Uttar Pradesh's Food and Civil Supplies Department conducted raids at 1,483 locations here and arrested six people in an operation to check black marketing of cooking gas cylinders, according to an official statement. The raids were conducted on Friday, along with the district administration. As part of the operation, 24 FIRs were registered, said the statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government late on Friday night. In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions, the Food and Civil Supplies Department and the district administration are continuously monitoring the supply system of LPG cylinders and conducting inspections and raids across the state so that no shortage or irregularity occurs anywhere, it said. In this regard, Chief Secretary S P Goyal has issued instructions to all district magistrates to take all necessary steps to maintain the availability of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders. Uttar Pradesh is the first state to initiate swift

Traders' body seeks limited LPG supply to prevent shutdown of hotels in MP

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Saturday urged the Madhya Pradesh administration to immediately restore a limited supply of commercial LPG cylinders to prevent the "complete shutdown" of the hospitality and food service sector in Bhopal. The traders' body warned that if the supply is not restored within days, the entire hospitality sector in the state capital could face closure, threatening thousands of livelihoods and disrupting the food supply. CAIT Bhopal district president Dharmendra Sharma, in a statement, said that the hospitality sector should be treated as an essential service, similar to its status during the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Asia conflict has impacted the supply of crude oil and petroleum products, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow water passage between Iran and Oman. With the ongoing crisis in West Asia causing an LPG crunch in the country, the CAIT urged authorities to take a pragmatic approach to prevent the hospitality

LPG crisis sparks migrant worker exodus from Kerala ahead of Ramzan, polls

The ongoing LPG crisis, which has led to the mass closure of restaurants and hotels across Kerala, has triggered an exodus of migrant workers returning to their native places, as Ramzan approaches and elections are to be held in West Bengal and Assam. Restaurant and hotel operators are trying to retain their staff from other states, fearing that if migrant workers leave now, they may not return until after the election. G Jayapal, state president of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), told PTI that migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam were expected to return home a week before the elections in their respective states. "However, with the LPG crisis forcing hotels and restaurants to shut down, migrant workers will start returning to their native places early. They will return only after the elections. Also, Ramzan will be celebrated next week, and people who were working in restaurants will start returning to their states due to the lack of jobs here," he ...